The Fate of Two
by Kobra1
Summary: Somebody said: 'It's our choices that make us who we are.' But can your choices change what Fate seems to have decided so long ago? With a Dark Age approaching, two people will have to fight for their own future
1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Chapter One  
  
HAPPY BIRTHDAY  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello everyone! This is my very first fanfiction, I hope you'll like it! My story is somehow connected with "Harry Potter and the Truest Power" by Just Like Hermione, who is also editing my fanfic. Go read it!  
  
* * *  
  
The sun was shining over the field, making the colors bright and brilliant. The grass was swaying like a wide sea, and the sky was smiling. Flowers sprouted out of the grass, covering the whole field with multi-colored points. Her feet gently touched the green carpet under them, while her eyes looked at the painted scene all around her. Smiling happily, she started running around with her arms opened like two wings, enjoying the cool air on her face. Suddenly, she noticed a beautiful flower right beside her foot. She sat down, watching it. It was a small flower, with red, shining petals. She kept her breath, amazed by its beauty. A noise behind her. She turned and saw a big, slimy snake crawling in her direction. She got back with a scream, then she realized that the fearful creature was not pointing her, but the flower. An unespected determination took control over her. She'd have never let the flower being touched. She could not. With a quick movement, she covered the flower with her body, caring of not hurting it. The snake hissed, threatening, becoming bigger and bigger. Its shadow was covering the girl and the flower. The grass touched by the evil shadow got withering all around her. She closed her eyes, too scared to do anything but wait. The snake got closer, so that she could feel its cool breath on her neck. She did not move. She could not. She did not want to. She wanted to protect the precious flower. Then... the flower started shining from within. Like a little sun, it chased away the shadow. She felt an intense but not harmful heat coming from it, and without even realizing it, she got up. The flower was getting bigger and bigger, while the grass touched by its light was coming to life again. The snake, touched by the light as well, screamed for pain and got burning. After some moments, it was just a little pile of dust, swept away by the wind.  
  
* * *  
  
"Lily!" A soft, warm voice called her away from her dream. "Lily, wake up, it's morning".  
  
Her mother was sitting on the side of her bed, smiling. "Hi..." said Lily yawning while getting seated.  
  
"Happy birthday," said her father, kissing her on the head and putting a bundle in her hands. She immediatly started unwrapping it.  
  
"Hey, you haven't even read the ticket!" her older sister Petunia had just appeared behind her father. "Oh, come on, Petty!" protested Lily, her father laughed.  
  
"Wow! It's wonderful!!" exclaimed the young girl peering at the book lying in her hands. It was the illustrated edition of "The Lord of the Rings" by Tolkien that she had been hoping for so long. "Thanks mum! Thanks daddy!" she cryed out hugging her mother.  
  
"Hey, flea, it was MY idea!" said Petunia scratching Lily's head.  
  
"Thanks Petty!" Lily hugged her sister, too.  
  
"And don't call me like that. My name's Petunia" she said pushing her little sister back on the bed. They laughed.  
  
"Come on, both of you. Get washed and come down for breakfast" said her mother, getting up.  
  
* * *  
  
"Remember we're going to have grandma for dinner, today?" said her father, speading some butter on his toast.  
  
"Oh, no!" cryed Petunia.  
  
"Don't act like that, Petunia! It's rather a year that you two don't see her! You'll better behave well!" said her mother, threatening.  
  
"Come on, Petty, it's just grandma!" Lily liked her grandmother. Everybody used to say they were similar, and not only for the aspect. They both loved to read huge books, and sometimes they stayed stuck in their thoughts, staring at nothing in front of them. People used to say that her grandmother was a strange, unusual person. Lily thought she was just an old, lovely woman who liked to stay by herself, daydreaming.  
  
"Peter, did you take the post?" asked her mother.  
  
"Oh, no. Sorry, Margaret, I forgot to," answered her husband.  
  
The woman went out of the room, getting back after a few time with some letters in her hand; then seated, watching them. Suddendly, she stopped, an interrogative look on her eyes. She had a big envelope in her hand.  
  
"Dear, this is for you" she said to Lily, who was fighting against her toast, her hands full of marmalade.  
  
"Could you open it, please?"  
  
Margaret opened the envelope and gave a look at the letter. She started laughing under the interrogative look of the other three components of the family. "Oh, my... this is really made for you, dear! Listen: 'Dear Miss Lily Evans, we are glad to inform you that you have been accepted at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...'"  
  
"Wow... give me that!" Lily cleaned her hands on her pajamas before taking the letter.  
  
"It's a joke, Lily," Said her father.  
  
"Oh, dad..." cryed the little girl  
  
"Ok, ok, dream a bit, but I think I know who sent it to you... I'd rather bet it was your grandma! We'll ask her this evening"  
  
Lily ran in her room keeping the letter like a trophy. She remained on her bed till lunch, reading the letter again and again, daydreaming about a school for wizards. After lunch, her friends came for her eleventh birthday's party. Margaret had prepared some games to do in the garden, so that the shouting crowd of little boys and girls should have avoided to destroy her little kitchen. Lily went on running around the whole time, and she forgot about the letter.  
  
* * *  
  
Grandma arrived at 7:00 that night with her usual green shawl and white hair pressed under an awful brown hat. She hugged Lily and Petunia, complained about the older sister's behavior (as usual) and gave Lily her present: a book, of course. After dinner, she sat on the sofa beginning her usual speech against school.  
  
"It's a shame! Young people should be let free to dream, to express themselves, not being kept under that kind of strict control. It looks more like a prison than like a school! I remember when I went to..."  
  
"Hey, mum! Speaking of schools," interrupted Peter "you did a nice joke to Lily sending that letter!"  
  
"It is really rude to interrupt an old lady talking, Peter. Anyway, which letter?"  
  
"Don't act like you don't know! Bring it here, Lily." The little girl ran up to her room.  
  
"Here it is" she said, coming back. Grandma took the letter with her wrinkled hand.  
  
"Oh, I can't see anything without my glasses! Darling, could you..." Lily took an old pair of glasses from her grandma's bag.  
  
"Thank you. Now, what is..." she turned pale at once.  
  
"You're a great actor, mum, you know? That joke is..."  
  
"This is not a joke."  
  
"What?"  
  
"This is not a joke." 


	2. GRANDMA'S TALE

Chapter Two  
  
GRANDMA'S TALE  
  
"It happened about... sixty years ago. I was ten years old, then. I had this strange friend of mine, Clarissa. People always avoided her and her family, saying they were strange. And, somehow, they were. I had been friends with her since the age of six, but I had never been invited to her house, nor had I ever known what kind of work her father did. She was not good at school. Not at all. She didn't seem to realize what we were studying for. Now, as you know, my mother was a retired teacher, and so Clarissa sometimes came to me for studying. One day, she rushed in our kitchen saying she had to talk to me. She usually was a very educated girl, but that time she didn't even apologize for arriving so suddenly and uninvited. Anyway, we went in my room and she showed me... that letter," said Grandma, pointing at the letter with a thin finger.  
  
"Then, she took from her pocket a... wand." She stopped a moment, just to create a bit of suspence.  
  
"She said she could not show that to me, and that she was not even good at it, but she wanted her best friend to know. She pointed the wand to a book and said: 'Wingardium Leviosa!" I remember that as if it was yesterday. The book started... flying around my head."  
  
Peter and Margaret had an umbelieving-consenting look on their faces, while Petunia was thinking she was right in considering grandma completely mad. Lily was astonished, her mouth falling opened.  
  
"Ah, ah, ah! Mum, you should really get writing, you know? I mean it, you've got a great imagination!" Peter's exclamation sounded a little false.  
  
"I'M NOT JOKING!!! You, stupid fool! It's fifty years that you know me, and you haven't realized yet when I am joking or not!" she paused, taking breath. Everyone was looking at her.  
  
"Have you got an idea of what it meant to me? Clarissa said that sometimes even children from... I don't remember the term she used... children from families that do not have magical powers can be admitted. I waited until my eleventh birthday quivering, hoping to receive that letter. But it never came" Grandma stopped, looking down with a melancholy look in her eyes.  
  
"And what happened to your friend?" asked Lily  
  
"I've never seen her again. Nor heard. Her parents said she was attempting a school near London, but I knew they were lying. Then, one day they suddendly changed house and I've never heard about them anymore.  
  
"I've passed all my life hoping for my children's eleventh birthday, but no post arrived. So, with the time passing through, I forgot about that. But now," she said, smiling at Lily, "We finally have a witch in our family!"  
  
Lily could have never been happier. She believed everything grandma had said, without any doubt.  
  
"Come on, mum. This... this is completely crazy. How can you pretend..." began Peter  
  
"You probably haven't read this" said grandma handing the letter to her son  
  
"Read at the end. Go on, what are you waiting for?" Peter looked at the paper in his hand, then his mother. Finally, he put his glasses on and began: "'For the Muggle families: we perfectly know it is something strange to accept, so we have organized a meeting in London on the 17th of August'" Then, it gives the address of a place... it looks like a pub or something... The Leaky Cauldron..." he looked his daughter, then his mother "Hey, you're not going to say it... you can't ask me to go, I... I have to work and..."  
  
"It's for your daughter's future. You'll ask a free day" Grandma's tone admitted no denying. 


	3. THE LEAKY CAULDRON

Chapter Three  
  
THE LEAKY CAULDRON  
  
After more than two mounths, the long-awaited day finally came. It was fortunate; Lily couldn't have possibly waited any longer.  
  
They woke up early in the morning because the meeting was fixed at three in the afternoon, and they needed about seven hours to get to London. Lily was almost out of control; she could not eat and went on running around in the kitchen, so her parents had to threaten that they wouldn't go if she didn't calm down.  
  
Finally, at 7:30 she and Peter left for the train station. Lily was already in the car when Margaret got closer to her husband  
  
"Dear..."  
  
"I know, Margie, I know. I'll take her wherever she wants to, and I'll buy some presents. I just hope she won't be too disappointed when she finds out..." said Peter.  
  
"Of course she will be! She didn't talk of anything but that the whole summer! Oh, you just cheer her up. It's a lesson she had to learn, I guess"  
  
"Yes... but I don't think I'll ever forgive mum for this shitty trick! I really don't get what she did it for..." he muttered, entering the car.  
  
* * *  
  
The journey was boring and almost neverending for Lily. She had brought some books, but she wasn't able to read. She just stayed there, watching out of the window.  
  
The train finally arrived at their destination. They took a taxi. The driver did not know about the pub, but brought them where they asked  
  
"Here you are. You see, I never make mistakes! There's no pubs here, sorry" Lily stood there, staring at the book shop without seeing it. She was really close to cry.  
  
Peter looked at his little girl, sighed and decided it had come the moment he had so long feared. He had to help his daughter to come back to reality. She was eleven, though. It was time she learned someting from life.  
  
"Come on, darling" Peter put his arm around her shoulder "The Leaky Cauldron does not exist, as Hogwarts does not exist. They just could not. Don't be sad, darling. It was a good dream while lasted."  
  
"Oh, daddy!" she hugged him tightly, crying.  
  
Peter hugged her tight. How could his mother do this to her?! He knew grandma was strange, but this... it was just too much to bear.  
  
"Excuse me, sir," said a man as he approached. He was strangely dressed, in an old fashioned top hat, a very long brown coat that made it difficult for him to walk, and... pajamas?  
  
"What do you want?" Peter sounded rude, but he didn't care much. It was not the moment to interrupt, couldn't that odd man see?  
  
"I heard you talking of The Leaky Cauldron." Peter got suspicious. Lily looked at him, still crying.  
  
"Yes?" answered Peter, growing suspicious.  
  
"Ah! Very well, then you must be..." the man took a little journal from his pocket, reading something on it.  
  
"Evans," Lily said hopefully. "I'm Lily Evans."  
  
"Yes, here you are. Please, come with me. I apologize for the trouble! Every year it's the same! I've told them several times it was not a good idea to make the meeting here, but they never listened..." the man walked through black door they hadn't noticed before, right between a book shop and a record store.  
  
The door lead inside the Leaky Cauldron. It was a dark and modest pub, with only a few people inside. Everyone was strangely dressed, just like their guide. Three old women stared at Lily and her father with a kind of disgust.  
  
"This way, this way..." the odd man guided them through the main pub to a back room.  
  
"I think it should begin in some moments," said the man as he opened the door, leaving space to let them in.  
  
The room was larger than what they had expected, but so crowded that Peter and Lily hardly found their way in. Some chairs had been placed to make it look like an auditorium, but there were far from enough. At least everybody in the room looked normal, judging from the way they dressed and the questioning look in their eyes.  
  
Peter started speaking with a man who had brought two twins. Lily decided to give a deeper look at the room. She sneaked off through the talking crowd. Some paintings were hanging on the wall, all covered by sheets. Lily looked around. No one was watching her. She lifted one.  
  
"Oh!"  
  
"AAAHHH!!!!" Lily screamed so loud that all the chatter in the room stopped at once, and everyone was looking at her. She had left the width, that was now covering the picture again. There was a woman portrayed, and, when Lily had looked at her, she had MOVED! The woman had covered her face with her hands, looking disappointed to be seen.  
  
"Daddy! Daddy!" Lily run toward he father  
  
"Lily! What have you..."  
  
"Daddy, I lifted one of those sheets... I didn't wanna do anything bed, just take a look, and then the picture was..."  
  
"Please, everyone! We are about to begin," called a woman standing before the chairs. She was tall, with raven locks and an emerald dress. She had a very strict face, even if it was now relaxed.  
  
"My name is Minerva McGonagall..." 


	4. DIAGON ALLEY

Chapter Four  
  
DIAGON ALLEY  
  
"My name is Minerva McGonagall. I am the teacher of Transfiguration at Hogwarts," she said as people shared doubtful looks.  
  
"I understand it is all strange to understand and to accept, for you. So, this meeting has the purpose of explaining to you what wizardy is and what kind of school your children have been called to.  
  
"Just to make a brief introduction, before beginning the tour: wizards do exist. We are people with particular abilities usually known as Wizardry. These abilities can be refined through studying. And this is the meaning of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We prefer to live unknown to people without magic powers. We call you Muggles. Any question, before we begin our tour?"  
  
Nobody moved or showed to have understood what Professor McGonagall had just said.  
  
Lily slowly lifted her hand. "What is Transfiguration?"  
  
"Oh, yes. I was forgetting that... thank you, miss...?"  
  
"Lily. Lily Evans," said the girly proudly.  
  
"Thank you Miss Evans. Well, transfiguration is basically... this!" under the unbelieving look of everyone in the room Professor McGonagall became smaller, her green dress got black and hairy and two felin ears sprouted out of her hat. In a few moments the woman transformed in a black cat.  
  
"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" all the people in the room stepped back from the cat, as if they had seen a horrible monster.  
  
Professor McGonagall returned human at once "Please, please! Everybody! There's nothing to fear, you see?" she waited for calmness to come back in the room  
  
"Transfiguration is the art of transforming something in something else. What I showed you is a very high level of Transfiguration. The wizards who can transform THEMSELVES into an animal (an object is too dangerous) are called Animagus, and they must be regularly registered to the Ministry of Wizardry. Of course, we have our own rules to regulate the use of wizardry, and to protect all of you Muggles."  
  
People were beginning to accept what they were seeing, even if it was hard to do.  
  
"I think we can now begin the tour, please follow me" Prof. McGonagall headed to a door behind her. After a moment of uncertainty, everyone followed her.  
  
The door lead out of the pub, in a very small court rounded by a brick-made wall. It was a too small a place for everyone, so many of them remained in the first room. Luckly, Peter and Lily managed to stay near Professor McGonagall. She went near the wall before the door, took a wooden wand out of a pocket and touched with that five bricks. Suddendly, the bricks started moving, creating a large hole in the wall. Behind it there was a whole street with shops, restaurants, and people walking around, chatting and buying strange things.  
  
Peter was astonished, as was everyone near him. Lily, instead, was smiling, easly accepting what she saw as only children can do.  
  
"Welcome to Diagon Alley!" said Professor McGonagall.  
  
When everybody had finally passed the hole, they began the tour. McGonagall took them around showing the shops, explaining and answering the questions that were coming like an avalanche in everyone's mind. They saw a pet shop, a book shop, a broom shop ("Wow! Can we really FLY with those?!") and so many others that they couldn't even remember. All the kids were continuosly running around, watching, questioning, and laughing. It was like the most amazing toy shop that they could have possibly imagined.  
  
After about two hours of walking, everyone was feeling really tired, so Professor McGonagall took them to a court where they could seat on some benches. A shop attracted all children's attention: Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. As many other kids, Lily asked her father to buy one. Peter accepted, but then he saw the price: three Sickles.  
  
"Excuse, me madam" said Peter to Prof. McGonagall "what is a 'Sickle'?"  
  
"Oh! Sorry, I had forgotten to..." she stopped watching worried a group of men heatedly talking to the ice-cream man. She run toward them.  
  
"Sorry, Florean! It's my fault; I forgot to tell them about the money!" she called, and the group of angry fathers turned to her.  
  
"In wizards world, we do not use your money. We have our own. If you want to buy someting, you'll have to change a bit of money, first." The company came closer to her, in order to listen better.  
  
"You can do it there, at the Gringott's" said pointing a big white building at the end of the street. A thick group of people decided to go, accompanied by Professor McGonagall. Peter was among them.  
  
They came back after half an hour, that Lily passed watching with hungry eyes all ice-cream flavors. Peter was really shocked.  
  
"There were... there were goblins in there!!! Such horrible creatures! So small and vicious"  
  
"You took the money, didn't you?" asked Lily, worried.  
  
"Yes, yes I did. But I think they'd have done a much worse change if Professor McGonagall were not there"  
  
They spent another hour wandering around and buying things before their guide said it was time to come back. They were in front of the wall they had come through (the hole was now closed) when Prof. McGonagall distributed some sheets  
  
"These are some rules you are pleased to follow when you come back home: 'First: Do not talk of what you've seen or show what you bought to anyone'. Please, remember; this is very important. If you get out of here with the things you bought, it means that you accept to follow this request. If you don't you'll be arrested by the Ministry of Magic. I'm sorry, but it is a necessary measure.  
  
"'Second: You'll receive an owl on the 20th of August with a letter from Hogwarts. You are asked to write if you are willing to send your children to Hogwars or not'. Don't worry, I've explained before how to use a post- owl; it's nothing difficult.  
  
"'Third: You shall be admitted to Diagon Alley again by showing the admittance to the owner of the Leaky Cauldron. Rules one and two are valid also for other things you shall buy here.' This includes things such as school books.  
  
"School shall begin on the first of September, you'll have to take the train that will take you to Hogwarts at eleven o'clock from platform 9¾ of the London train station." Everybody shared other questioning looks. " You'll find a person that will tell you how to reach it, don't worry.  
  
"Well, our tour is over. I hope you enjoyed your stay and look forward to see you again at school!" she re-opened the hole and they returned to the normal London. 


	5. A DREAM AND ACTUALITY

Chapter Five  
  
A DREAM AND ACTUALITY  
  
When Margaret heard the front door opening, she expected to see Lily very depressed and Peter very tired. She had passed the whole afternoon cooking Lily's favourite meal and a big chocolate cake. Instead, when the two entered the house, Lily run inside shouting,  
  
"Mum! Mum! It was all true!!! It was TRUE!!!!!!!" She ran around the kitchen under the disbelieving look of her mother. When Peter got in the room, he had a strange smile on his face.  
  
"Peter, what?"  
  
"It was all true, Marge. Come, sit down." They seated on the sofa in the sitting room.  
  
"What... what does it mean 'It was true'? I, I mean..."  
  
"Look" Peter showed her a journal he had bought at Diagon Alley. The pictures were moving.  
  
Margaret watched the sheet, astonished.  
  
"It... can't be... what kind of a joke is this, Peter?! I assure you it's not amusing!!" the woman got up from the sofa, shouting her disbelief on her husband's face.  
  
"Margaret, calm down. Let me tell you the whole story." Peter took his wife's hand and forced her to sit down again. Then, he told their whole journey. Sometimes, Lily added something or showed magical things she had bought. At the end of the story she stood there, without knowning what to say. The front door opened again, and Petunia entered the room, looking at her family.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"We have a witch in our family," said Margaret  
  
* * *  
  
The question IF Lily should really go to a wizards' school was never under discussion. It couldn't have: Lily would have never forgiven her parents if they had only said there might be the possibility she did not go. And Grandma, too. She came for lunch the day after their trip to London, asking for everything to be told and re-told several times. She was very proud of her little granddaughter, and her parents as well. The only one who didn't look so happy was Petunia.  
  
"Petunia, dear, what's wrong?" asked Margaret, after awhile that she was looking at her daughter.  
  
"It's nothing."  
  
"A bit envious?" said Grandma with a laugh.  
  
"I don't see WHY I should be envious of someone going to a stupid little school for conjurers!!! And stop talking to me as if I were unworthy just because I don't share your stupid little dream!!!!!"  
  
"Petunia!" shouted Margaret, but the girl was already running up to her room.  
  
A heavy silence came down on the table.  
  
"Please, forgive her, mum. She's a bit... you know... I think she really is envious. We just let her stay alone for awhile," said Peter  
  
"I know, dear, I know. Maybe I've been a little too ironic this time" No one knew what to say. Then, Lily had an idea.  
  
"Grandma, why don't you come to Diagon Alley with us next Saturday?" she asked.  
  
"Oh! Well..." a big smile spread on grandma's face. Lily smiled, too.  
  
"I don't think I should; it's better if you go with your parents" said Grandma, not sounding very plausible.  
  
"Ooooh, grandma, why?" cried Lily "I thought it was the thing you wanted the most in your life!! Why don't you come?"  
  
"Yes, mum, why not come with us? You're most certainly welcome!" added Peter.  
  
"You said it right, darling" said Grandma, addressing Lily, "it's the thing I desired the most in my life. That's why I cannot come."  
  
"But... but..." Lily was close to cry, seeing the sad look of her favourite relative. Grandma gently caressed her hand.  
  
"Don't worry, dear. You'll be a great witch, and every time you'll come here, you'll show me what you learned." Grandma smiled, and Lily smiled back. Then the old woman got up.  
  
"I think it's time that I go. Thanks for the lunch, dear. It was wonderful, as always," she said to Margaret.  
  
"But Mum, wait. If it's for what Petunia said, I'll..." began Peter  
  
"It's not that dear. Really. I have to go, but I'll accept another invitation here before Lily leaves to Hogwarts," said Grandma, giving an assuring smile to her granddaughter.  
  
She took her coat and, after putting two kisses on Lily's cheeks, left.  
  
"I don't really get my mother sometimes. She raised me with wizards' stories and now that she can really SEE their world, she just gives up! I don't get it!" moaned Peter  
  
"I think I do" said Margaret. Peter looked at her, questioning. "I think that, when you spend your whole life following a dream, it becomes a part of yourself, somehow. If she had seen how wizards' world really is, well, that could have never been HER wizards' world. That's why she gave up." Margaret smiled at Peter, stroking Lily's head "Dreams are always better than reality, I guess" 


	6. THE WAND

Chapter Six  
  
THE WAND  
  
On Saturday morning, early as usual, Peter, Lily and Margaret left home in the direction of the train station. Petunia was still angry, so she wouldn't listen to any reason and remained home.  
  
The train journey was, for Lily, even more unbereable than the first time because no uncertainties were now occupying her mind. She felt like a child who has received a very beautiful present but isn't allowed to open it immediately. The hours passed very slowly as she continuosly asked, "How long does it take?"  
  
Finally, they got to London. Lily rushed into a taxi without waiting her parents. Peter gave the name of the book shop near the Leaky Cauldron, in order to avoid questions form the driver.  
  
Once arrived at destination, Peter had to grab firmly his daughter till he paid the taxi. He had been explained by Professor McGonagall that Muggles can't usually SEE the Leaky Cauldron, so he thought it was better to prevent Lily from entering it with the driver watching.  
  
When they got inside the pub, they felt a bit uneasy under the disapproving look of some witches, but after Lily gave the admittance sheet to the bartender, the atmosphere was much more relaxed.  
  
Tom, the bartender's son, guided them to the small court behind the pub and opened the wall for them, teaching Lily how to do it when they had to come back.  
  
Margaret was astonished as they walked through the main street of Diagon Alley. Lily run around the whole time, passing from a shop to another and asking if they could buy her an acting doll or a flying rabbit. Even if he hiself would have liked to take many of those things, Peter was firm: first the school books. So, after a quick trip to the Gringott's, they went on looking for school material.  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh, my... where is that shop? We must've walked this street at least four times till now!" they had bought almost everything was written in Hogwarts' letter, plus some extras, and the only thing left was a wand.  
  
"I'm sure Professor McGonagall showed us were to buy it. It was a particular shop... Olli-something..." Peter looked dejected the crowded street.  
  
"Come on, it must be somewhere here," said Margaret. "Lily, where are you going?" her daughter was running towards a black-dressed boy who was watching a window with his parents.  
  
"I'm gonna ask!" shouted Lily to her mother. Margaret quickly followed her, a bit worried. You never know, expecially in a wizards' street...  
  
"Excuse me, do you know where I can buy a wand?" asked Lily smiling. The three turned to her. The two parents looked closely at her, while the boy returned her smile.  
  
"Lily! That isn't the way! Please, excuse her. She's a bit excited." Margaret had reached her daughter "Come on, Lily, first you should present yourself"  
  
"Oh, right... er... sorry. I'm Lily Evans, nice to meet you. Do you know where I can buy a wand?" Margaret shot a look to kill at the her, the boy smiled.  
  
"You're... Muggles, aren't you?" the man asked, not very politely.  
  
"Yes. Our daughter has been accepted to Hogwarts," said Peter, coming closer. He was as gentle as possible, but he felt a bit harsh towards the two. The young boy, instead, seemed to like them.  
  
"Of course I know where to buy a wand!"  
  
"She's been well-mannerd by presenting herself. Don't you think you should do the same?" said the witch.  
  
"Ehm... my name's Severus Snipe. Nice to meet you too. If you need a wand, then you gotta go to Ollivander's."  
  
"Ollivander's! That's the name I was looking for! Thank you, Severus" said Peter smiling "Could you please show us where is it? If it isn't a problem for you, of course." Lily's father looked at the average wizard in the eyes, smiling.  
  
"I can take you there! Can I, mum?" The witch looked at her son, then to the Muggles, then to her son again.  
  
"Yes, of course," she said in a whisper, "but come back here at once, then!"  
  
"Thank you very much. It was a pleasure to meet you," said Peter, following the young wizard.  
  
The four moved through the crowd, Severus and Lily first.  
  
"Are you really a wizard?" asked the little girl.  
  
"Of course! My family is all wizard for generations!"  
  
"And can you already make some magic?" asked Lily, amazed.  
  
"Yep! But what I'm best in is making potions!"  
  
"Potions?"  
  
"Yeah, you know... you take two or three ingredients, you mix 'em up, boil and you got it. The possibilities are almost infinite, much more than wand- made magics! Oh, here we are. This is Ollivander."  
  
The group stopped in front of a narrow and dirty shop. Only a single wand was displayed in the dusty window. 'Ollivander's maker of fine wands since 382 b.C.' was the sign.  
  
"Oh, it's... dusty," cryed Lily with disgust  
  
"It's ancient," replied Severus. "I have to go, now. Mum's waiting. I hope to meet you at school!"  
  
"Me too! Bye!" shouted Lily as Severus walked away.  
  
"Well, I think we'd better hurry, otherwise we'll miss the train," said Margaret. The three entered the shop. The local was very small and empty. No one was behind the desk, so they started looking around.  
  
"Er, hello? Anybody there?" called Peter hopefully  
  
The air inside was heavy, as if it was full of a secret magic.  
  
Suddendly, a man appeared in front of them. He was a very old man, but his faded eyes had a kind of inner light that enlighted the space around him.  
  
"Oh, other Muggles. Hogwart's having many this year! So, what's your name, little lady?" he said, smiling to Lily  
  
"Lily. Lily Evans"  
  
"You're left-handed?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Very well. Let's see..." he took a tape measure from a pocket and started measuring her right arm, then the hand, the fingers, the bust and everything could be measured in an eleven year old girl.  
  
"Ehm, excuse me. Could you please make it a little faster? We have a train to take, you know..."  
  
Mr. Ollivander turned to Peter, while the tape measure continued on with the work by its self.  
  
"You'd better know that choosing a wand is not something to be taken lightly. Using the wrong wand could be very dangerous and, after all, it's the wand that chooses the wizard, not the opposite." Peter swallowed.  
  
Mr. Ollivander went toward the shelves and started shuffling boxes. After a while, he turned with several packs in his hands  
  
"That's enough" said, and the tape measure flied to his pocket.  
  
"Try this. Mahogany, twelve inches, good for Levitation." Lily took it in her hand. After a moment, the old man grabbed it again, giving her another one.  
  
"No, no. Try this one... no, maybe this one." He went on handing her wands and taking them away for awhile.  
  
"You're a difficult case, you know? Alright, I like challenges!" exclaimed Mr. Ollivander, and he went to take another group of wands.  
  
"Let's see," he said, and the game began again.  
  
After the third time Ollivander went back to get other wands, Margaret impatiently asked, "What is it that you are looking for?"  
  
The old wizard looked her in the eye. She looked away.  
  
"You'll see when we find the right one," he said firmly, and then he turned, looking at the shelves, muttering. "And what if..." He took a really old dusty package from the shelf.  
  
"Try with this" he handed her an old wand. Just as Lily took it, she felt an incredible heat inside her fingers. She moved the wand around and it lightened the room in a flash of green sparks.  
  
Lily was very happy to get her wand, for everyone had realized it was HER wand, and her parents were happy, too--happy to go. Ollivander was the only one serious. Margaret saw his look and asked:  
  
"Anything wrong?" she asked, worried of having to remain there longer.  
  
"No. No, it's just strange."  
  
"What's strange?" asked Peter  
  
"I made that wand about a thousand years ago, with gryphon's hair. I had two hairs, and with the other I made a second wand. Mahogany. Eleven inches. Flexible. Good for Transfiguration. It had passed so much time that I thought that they did not work, since nobody had taken them before. Then, in just one week, I sold them both."  
  
"Who took the other?" asked Margaret  
  
"A young wizard. Same age as your daughter. His name was Potter. James Potter." 


	7. SAYING GOODBYE

Chapter Seven  
  
SAYING GOODBYE  
  
The last part of August was, of course, too slow and boring for Lily than she could bare. She spent her time reading her school books and trying her first spells (she nearly destroyed a lamp trying to lift it), and she was delighted with her first successes.  
  
The thing she liked the most was her wand. She took it with herself everywhere, trying to lift this teapot, or change color to that curtain, or just watching her "Ten inches and a quarter, whistling, willow-made" wand, as Mr. Ollivander said. What the old man had told them in Diagon Alley had worried her parents a bit at the beginning, but once back home it all looked much less serious. After all, how could that strange man had made that wand a thousand years ago?  
  
Lily had been daydreaming a little about that misterious boy with the brother-wand, James Potter, but then she was taken by her experiments and no one spoke about that fact anymore.  
  
Peter and Margaret were amazed by the things their little girl was learning, but were also sad thinking they wouldn't see her for mounths (of course, she hadn't realized that yet). Lily's package was ready from the very day they came back from Diagon Alley, waiting in her room behind the door.  
  
Petunia was still angry with her family, and Lily's progresses in magic made it just worst. "She's a teenager," said Margaret, but they knew it was untruth. Petunia had always suffered from having a little sister. She felt as if Lily had taken her parents' affection away, and all this speaking of how much Lily was special was too much to bare. She spent her days in her room, studying or listening to music, rather than speaking to anyone.  
  
Grandma had come at lunch another time, but Petunia had behaved so badly that both Peter and his mother had thought it was better to avoid any visits, so Lily went to Grandma twice before the end of August, to show her what she had learned.  
  
* * *  
  
Too suddenly and too late, as all important events, the first of September arrived one morning. Or, more precisely, it arrived one night, at two o'clock when they woke up. Lily was very excited and she got herself ready much quicker than the others.  
  
Petunia was still in her room. She did not want to go to London, nor she wanted to say goodbye to her sister, no matter how much her parents shouted at her door. At the end, both Peter and Margaret gave up and had breakfast.  
  
"Petty?" asked Lily softly in front of her sister's door. No answer came.  
  
"Please, Petty, would you come out?"  
  
"Go away!"  
  
"Come on, Petty, please!" Lily was close to tears. "It doesn't matter if you don't come to London, but at least say goodbye. We won't see each other till Christmas!"  
  
The door stood silent. Lily started to sigh and quickly tears were running down her cheecks.  
  
"Petty, you're just a stupid, selfish dumb!" she hit the door, hurting her hand.  
  
"I HATE YOU!!!" shout running to her room.  
  
Some minutes later Margaret reached her, crying on her bed.  
  
"Don't worry darling. Petunia's having a difficult moment. It will pass by," she said softly, scratching her daughter's back.  
  
"I don't wanna go, mummy. I don't wanna leave you. All of you," cried Lily. Margaret hugged her tightly.  
  
"It's what you've always dreamed about, dear. Don't fear, it will be alright."  
  
The woman took Lily's head in her hands, drying her tears and looking her in the eye. "You were born to be a witch. Everything will be alright. We'll keep in touch. We bought that owl exactly for this reason. And Petunia will miss you from the very moment you'll walk out of the door, so don't worry"  
  
"Oh, mum!" Lily hugged her mother again.  
  
"We gotta go!" shouted Peter from downstairs. Lily left Margaret and took the suitcase. Then, she turned to her mother, smiling.  
  
"That's the spirit!" said Margaret, and she also smiled.  
  
Peter had had the car prepared, so they easly took on the last things. Lily hugged Margaret again, kissed her and finally went on the car. Margaret hadn't been able to take a day off from work, so she couldn't accompany them to London.  
  
The car kept going. They were already far away when Lily saw her sister running behind them.  
  
"Stop the car!" Lily opened the door while the car was still going and ran towards Petunia.  
  
Her sister hugged her so tightly that she could barely breathe.  
  
"Watch out, there. And write every day," said Petunia crying and kissing her sister.  
  
"I will," answered Lily.  
  
Some minutes passed before Lily went back to the car. Peter was smiling. The car started going again, directed to the station. 


	8. HOGWARTS EXPRESS

Chapter Eight  
  
HOGWARTS EXPRESS  
  
The London train station was crowded, as usual. People were running up and down, carrying suitcases or trolleys, and saying goodbye to departing realtives. Some couples were hugging and kissing after a long time, or before it. A voice from the loudspeaker annonuced some changes in the timetable, or the arrival of a train.  
  
Lily had piled her things on a single trolley, and it was so loaded that its wheels creaked at every movement, and she could barely see where she was going. The owl in its cage was cooing all the time. They hadn't found a name for the pet yet. The man who had sold it had forgotten to tell them, and it was not responding to any of the names they had tried.  
  
"Where is the man from Hogwarts?" asked Lily after awhile they were wondering around.  
  
"I don't really know. I don't think anyone else knows where this 9 3/4 platform is, either," said Peter, looking around.  
  
They were standing near the stairs, and could see the whole entrance of the station. Lily looked down, and saw a really big man hanging over the crowd.  
  
"Wow, Daddy! Look at that man! He's sooooo tall!" said Lily, giggling.  
  
"Mhmm... it could be our man. Look at how he's dressed." The man was wearing a long dark coat that should have fit a man of the eighteen century.  
  
But the thing that stroke the most was his beard. Saying it was neglected was far from enough. It was... wild. A single mass of hair that began from the neck, went behind the head, and ended under the chin.  
  
Peter and Lily got near him with a kind of caution.  
  
"Excuse me, sir. Ehm... are you the man from... ehm... Hogwarts?" Peter rather murmured the last name.  
  
"Yea! Yea! 'T's me! Yeh 'ust be 'ookin for 'latfor 93/4, right?" after a moment of uncertainty caused by the way the man was talking, Peter nodded.  
  
"Yeh go two 'latfor 9. 'here yeh fin' a wizar 'ho'll tell ya wha to do" said the big man with a smile hidden between the hair.  
  
"Ehm... thank you" Peter smiled slightly embarassed, and he pulled his daughter away.  
  
"Daddy, we're being late! It's already 10.45!" said Lily as they approached the platforms.  
  
A little crowd was standing at the beginning of platform 9. Every child there had a trolley as full as Lily's, and several owls were cooing at the same time. People looked at that strange group and laughed or had disapproving looks, but Peter and Lily were glad to see that odd group of people.  
  
As they got closer, an average man addressed them:  
  
"Please, tell me you are the Smiths!" the man was dressed as a normal Muggle, but something in the way he moved and hold a little piece of paper revealed that he was not.  
  
"No, sorry. We are the Evans" said Peter, perplexed.  
  
"Lily Evans," precised the girl.  
  
"Evans... Evans... yes, here you are!" said the man reading the paper "Well, I'll handle the Smiths when I find them. Please, everyone, come with me" he went straight in the opposite direction of the end of the platform, followed by the uncertain crowd.  
  
"Ehm, excuse me, sir," said Peter as he was able to reach him, "where is platform 9¾?"  
  
"You'll see in a moment; we're going right there. We have prepared a special entrance for crowd of Muggles, this year. You know, we can't be noticed. Here we are." They had reached the door of a departement store. It looked unused since long ago. The inside consisted of a single big empty room. At the center was a wastepaper basket.  
  
"Are we all in? Well. Please, everybody come as near as you can. Good, now take the hand of person nearest you. Form a chain. Be sure to touch your trolley, too." Everyone shared perplexed looks as they did what they were asked. The man took the basket in one hand, and with the other he touched the last person of the chain.  
  
Nothing was happening. Some kids laughed.  
  
Then, all of a sudden, they felt a force picking them up to their navel, and a moment after, they were in another big room, a room similar, but different, than the first one.  
  
People started looking around, astonished.  
  
"You have just experianced a Passport. It simply took us straight to platform 9¾. Please, all the parents wait for me after the train leaves. I'll show you the usual entrance to the platform. Now, let's go to the train." He tossed the basket away and went to the door.  
  
The crowd was stuck, people looking at each other, uncertain. And so were Lily and Peter.  
  
"Please, you are nearly late" called the man.  
  
Out of the door was the platform 9¾. It was similar to other platforms, but nearly everybody there was a wizard or witch, and everything looked a bit more... antique. The train itself was an old vapour-engine model. 'Hogwarts Express' was written on the top of the steam engine.  
  
"The train to Hogwarts is leaving in five minutes from platform 9 3/4," annonuced a voice, but no loudspeakers were visible.  
  
"Come on Lily" said Peter, pushing the trolley toward the train. He put the cases up a door in the train, then turned to say goodbye to his daughter.  
  
"Oh, daddy!" cried Lily, hugging him tight.  
  
"You'll be fine, Lily. Don't worry."  
  
"And if I can't find any friend there? And if..." she was close to cry.  
  
"You with no friends? I can't imagine that, really. Don't worry, darling, it'll be ok," said Peter, smiling. Lily returned the smile and hugged him one last time. Then, she got on the train.  
  
"Write as soon as you can!" shouted Peter as the train started moving  
  
"I WILL!!!" answered Lily leaning out of the window. She looked him getting smaller and smaller in the distance, till he was no more in sight. Then, she took her cases on and went looking for a compartment.  
  
Her trip to Hogwarts had finally began. 


	9. THE JOURNEY TO HOGWARTS

Chapter Nine  
  
THE JOURNEY TO HOGWARTS  
  
Lily had been dragging her cases for some minutes, but all compartements were full or closed. She was beginning to think she'd have to pass the whole journey in the corridor.  
  
She tried to unlock the umpteenth door, but it was firmly shut.  
  
"Damn!" she cried out, passing on.  
  
"Lily!" A young wizard dressed with Hogwarts uniform was staring at her from the last room she had passed  
  
"Severus! Hello! How do you do?" said Lily smiling, glad she had found someone she knew.  
  
"Fine, thanks. You look to need some help. You haven't found a compartement, have you?"  
  
"No" admitted Lily  
  
"You wanna join us? I had locked the door to avoid to be disturbed, but then I heard your voice"  
  
"Ehm... yes thank you" said Lily, blushing.  
  
The compartement was quite big, and it looked even bigger since only two people were sitting inside. Severus's friend was a short, fat boy with two rat-like eyes  
  
"Hello, I'm Peter Pettigrew," said the boy shaking her hand.  
  
Once settled in, Lily looked at her new fellows  
  
"So, you're both wizards, aren't you?" she couldn't help but being amazed when she was near a real wizard, even if it was just a kid.  
  
"Yeah, I told you last time about my family and myself. Peter's is a wizards' family as well."  
  
"Wow! Sorry, I just have to realize that this is not a dream. You know, I wished for things like this all my life and now... it's just too good to be true" said Lily innocently  
  
"Things like what?" asked Peter, dully.  
  
"Things like us, stupid. Lily comes from a Muggle's family" said Severus  
  
"A Muggle family? Wow! You're a Mudbl... ouch!" Severus hurted him at the stomach, giving him an accusing look.  
  
"I mean, I'd never met a... witch coming from a Muggle family." Peter smiled, embarrassed  
  
"Oh, really? I guess I'm far less interesting for you then what you are for me."  
  
"No! I've always wanted to know how things work in Muggle's world, but my parents never allowed me to."  
  
"Really, why?" asked Lily, truly concerned  
  
"Well, you know," answered Severus with a sigh, " most of ancient families of wizards, like Peter's and mine, consider themselves as... better than those who come from Muggles families. We are usually named 'Pureblood.'"  
  
"Oh, I see. But you don't look like caring about that, do you?"  
  
"Not really, to my parents' great disappointment" Severus smiled lightly, and Lily returned his smile.  
  
"Nor do I, nor do I care!" added Peter loudly. The other two looked at him questioning, making him blush.  
  
"Ehm... could you tell me, please, what exactly is a 'car', please? I've always wanted to know" asked the fat boy, more to change subject than for real interest.  
  
Lily began to explain, and after a few moments they were deep inside a discussion regarding Muggle and Wizard worlds.  
  
The country was passing by out of the window, and the sky quickly turned red. A noise out of the compartement announced the arrival of the food trolley, and the three children suddendly realized they were hungry.  
  
Lily had been given some money, but she was not confident with it, so she accepted Severus's proposal to offer some food.  
  
"May I advice a new candy?" asked the old witch gently. "It's the latest invention from Honeydukes: the Chocolate Frog! In every packet you'll find a picture card of a famous wizard or witch to collect," she said, showing a little packet. The three were curious about those candies, and Severus took four for each one of them.  
  
"Watch out, they make one single jump after you open the packet, don't miss them!" Lily was asking herself what the witch was meaning, when Peter opened the first of his Chocolate Frogs. A frog made of chocolate jumped on Lily's head, making her scream.  
  
"Don't worry, Lily, it's just a magic!" said Severus, taking the frog and giving it back to Peter, who immediatly eat it. It was already moving. Lily was disgusted, and refused to eat any of those things. Instead, she concentrated on the picture cards. She nearly screamed again when the man in the picture smiled at her, making a bow  
  
"'Godric Gryffindor. Probably the most powerful magic fighter of the Middle Age. He saved Muggle world from an invasion of Dragons, and defeated the evil wizard Molodor. He is one of the founders of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; one of the school's houses still bears his name.' Wow, cool!" said Lily, watching the picture in her hand "Hey, what's this story of the school houses?"  
  
"You don't know?" asked Peter chewing  
  
"Of course not, Peter" Severus rebuked him "Once we get at Hogwarts, we'll be sorted in four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Our successes gain house points, while we lose points each time we break a rule. At the end of the year, the house with more points will win the House Cup!"  
  
"Oh! That sounds amazing! Which house would you like to be sorted in?" asked Lily  
  
"I hope I'll be a Slytherin! My parents were Slytherins, and also many of my ancestors," said Snape immediately.  
  
"I hope to be a Slytherin, too!" added Peter, who had just finished his Chocolate Frog.  
  
"Well, then, I hope to be sorted a Slytherin as well, so at least I'll be with someone I know!" said Lily smiling.  
  
The whistle of the train announced that they were getting at destination.  
  
"You'd better get dressed, we're about to arrive," suggested Severus  
  
Lily was already wearing most of the uniform, so she had just to pick the cloak out of her case.  
  
They were feeling really excited and even a bit scared now. For some minutes, no one spoke.  
  
"Have you already been to Hogwarts?" asked Lily, just to break the silence  
  
"No. You're not allowed into the school if you're not a student or a teacher. Or a keeper."  
  
"Oh, and how are they supposed to have meetings with parents?" asked Lily innocently. Severus and Peter shared a look, and then they started laughing.  
  
"Hey, what's so funny? What did I say?" said Lily, disappointed  
  
"Nothing, it's nothing. It's just that there are NO meeting with parents. There have never been, so it sounds really amusing to hear you ask" explained Severus.  
  
The train slowed down till it stopped completely. A voice told the students to leave their cases in the compartments and to get off the train.  
  
"Firs yea! Firs yea! 'verybody 'rom da first year ples com here!" the man talking was the same Lily and Peter had asked at the London train station.  
  
Lily, Severus and Peter followed the man togheter with a crowd of other children toward the shore of a big, dark lake. The air was cold and Lily understood the meaning of the cloak.  
  
They got in some boats ("No mor than fou' per boa!" the man had said) and started sailing toward a huge castle on the other side of the lake. 


	10. THE SORTING

Chapter Ten  
  
THE SORTING  
  
The castle was on the top of a mountain, enlighted by thousand of inner lights, it stood out of the dark sky like an illustration in one of Lily's books. She was amazed. The cold air wasn't bothering her anymore, for what she was staring at was much better than books or illustrations. It was true.  
  
The moon was reflecting on the surface of the lake where the boats silently slided. Everybody was feeling the same as her and, keeping the breath, watched the enchanted castle above them.  
  
After some of the best minutes in Lily's life, the boats reached the other shore, right under the castle in a kind of underground harbour. Their gigantic guide took them up a passage in the rock, toward a garden under the castle's shadow.  
  
The man knocked the huge wooden door they were in front of, and a woman opened it from inside. It was Professor McGonagall.  
  
"Thank you, Hagrid. I'll take them from now on," she said with a bit of a smile playing on her strict face. The man turned to them, made a quick smile and walked on.  
  
"Follow me," ordered the witch, turning and walking through a large hall. Her steps were echoing loudly, for the room was as large as a cave.  
  
The crowd did as told. No one was talking anymore. Hundreds of buzzing voices were coming from a big door on their left. It was probably the Great Hall, but Professor McGonagall took them to a small room behind it.  
  
"Wait here and be quiet. I'm going to see if they are ready for the ceremony," said the witch.  
  
Lily was feeling both excited and scared at the same time. Her stomach seemed to have been tied into a knot. The room was, of course, warmer than the outside, but she was freezing again.  
  
The ceremony. It was the Sorting, of course. Lily felt as if in that very moment her fate was going to be jugded. The people she'd have been with for the next seven years were going to be chosen in the next few minutes. 'Slytherin, please, let it be Slytherin!' thought the little girl, feeling even smaller.  
  
She had known Severus for just a few hours, and Peter for even less, but she felt them as her safeness anchor in that big, strange, intriguing place. At that moment, in front of that closed door, waiting for her destiny, she felt she couldn't face being far from the only two people she knew.  
  
Lily looked at Severus, at her side. He smiled her. Not really a reassuring smile. He was scared, too.  
  
The door opened suddendly.  
  
"We are ready," announced Professor McGonagall. Lily swallowed, her throat was completely dry.  
  
The crowd followed the witch into the Great Hall. It was surely the biggest room Lily had ever seen. Four long tables were placed longitudinally, students were sitting around them, chatting. Another table was at the end of the room, with the teachers. The whole room was lit by candels fluttering around from a man's height to... Lily suddendly noticed that there was NO ceiling. The sky could be seen on their heads.  
  
"That's not really the sky; it's just a magic." Severus had noticed her astonished look.  
  
As they entered the room, all the chatting stopped, and people stared at them, making Lily feel even more uncomfortable.  
  
McGonagall had taken them to the teacher's table, in front of which had been placed a stool with a very old hat.  
  
Lily was going to collapse in that very moment, her knees were quivering. She was so scared that she didn't even noticed when the hat started to sing a long story about Hogwarts and how it had been made. At the end, Severus had to push her to make her applaud with everyone else in the room.  
  
Then, Professor McGonagall came in, holding a parchment  
  
"Averne Hannah!" called loudly. A dark haired girl walked slowly toward the stool, sat on it and wore the hat. It was covering her eyes. Some moments passed by with nothing happening, then  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!!" shouted the hat. Students from the Hufflepuff table applauded loudly as the little girl walked toward them.  
  
"Balance Mandy!" another girl approached the stool. The same scene took place again, exept that this girl was sent to "RAVENCLAW!!"  
  
Professor McGonagall went on calling names, and Lily felt more and more anxiety as the "E" was approaching. Then, finally  
  
"Evans Lily!" Her heart flopped, and she remained stuck where she was. Severus pushed her gently, giving a warm smile. Lily looked at the hat, swallowed and went quivering to sit on the stool. She wore the hat.  
  
"So..." a voice whispered at Lily's ear "a little anxious, aren't we? You didn't even listen my song earlier."  
  
"So... sorry," whispered Lily as reply  
  
"You're worrying about being alone, aren't you? You mustn't, I'll put you where you'll be fine and you'll be able to develop your abilities, so don't worry"  
  
"Please... please put me..." began Lily, but the hat didn't give her time to finish  
  
"SLYTHERIN!!" it shouted, and Lily felt her heart fill again. She took it off and smiled at Severus while walking to the Slytherin table.  
  
"Farnati George!" said McGonagall. Lily was so happy she didn't care to the following sorting, while she noticed she was hungry. Really hungry. But the plate in front of her was empty, as all the others.  
  
Lily took a few time looking around and noticed many things she hadn't seen before. First of all, in the middle of her table was standing a... ghost! And several others were flying around the tables.  
  
"Pettigrew Peter!" Lily shocked herself out of her astonishment and watched.  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!!" shouted the hat. Lily's heart flopped again. What if even Severus was sorted for another house? Hoping so much for Slytherin should have been useless. Till a moment before she was feeling safe, but now... She grapped the table hard, feeling bad again while "Poncher William!" was sorted Hufflepuff.  
  
"Potter, James!" Lily was once again taken away from her thoughts. It was the boy with the brother wand.  
  
The Big Hall was silent, watching the hat. It was taking longer than the others. Then, all of a sudden, the hat shouted  
  
"AH!" some moments of astonishment passed "Gryffindor" said the hat quietly, sounding extremely serious. The young wizard took off the hat, uncertain. Professor McGonagall was uncertain, too, but smiled at him saying "Welcome, Mr. Potter."  
  
The Sorting went on normally, as if nothing had happened and quickly everyone forgot the event. Lily got back worrying about Severus. Finally, also her dark haired friend was called  
  
"SLYTHERIN!!" announced the hat. Lily rather hugged him for happiness. Everything had gone well and as the last ones were called, she thought there was no need to worry so much.  
  
"Zubbert Ronald!" was the last to be sorted ("SLYTHERIN!!"). Professor McGonagall put the pachment away and was going to take the hat away as well, when it spoke again, by everybody's astonishment  
  
"Excuse me, I've made a mistake." Professor McGonagall stopped, uncertain  
  
"Lily Evans, would you please come back here, please?" said the hat  
  
Lily felt as if her the world was falling on her. Why? Why her? She had hoped so much to be with someone she knew. To be with Severus. It was just not fair.  
  
The little girl went on, quivering. She wore the hat again.  
  
"I'm really sorry for this. Really" whispered the voice  
  
"P...please..." whispered Lily, but it was too late  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!!!" shouted the hat, louder than before as to assure everyone that this time he was right. For some neverending moments, no one moved. Lily took the hat off her head very slowly, trying not to cry. Gryffindor's table exploded in applauses.  
  
She did not noticed that. 


	11. FIRST FIGHTS

Chapter Eleven  
  
FIRST FIGHTS  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to SndReAmer for her review. It's much easier to write when you know someone is reading!! So, please REVIEW!!  
  
Thank you  
  
Kobra  
  
* * *  
  
Lily watched Severus, tears really close to go down her cheeks. He tried to smile, but did not succeed.  
  
The little girl headed slowly to Gryffindor's table. People was still applauding when she sat down. Peter smiled at her from the other side of the table, but Lily felt no better seeing that. She felt lost. Alone. For the very first time since that dream called Hogwarts had begun, for the very first time in her life, she felt lonely.  
  
"Good evening everyone!" the room got silent at once. Lily looked up. An old man with a lightening white bear was standing in front of the school. "I am Albus Dumbledore. As some of you might know already, I am the new headmaster of Hogwarts. Till last year, I was just the teacher of Defence against the Dark Arts but, since Principal Dippett decided to retire, I've accepted the role. I'm sorry to say that we haven't found another professor of Defense for this year, so I'll go right on teaching it. Professor McGonagall has accepted the role of head of the house of Gryffindor, which was mine up until this year. So please, if you Gryffindors need anything, go to her." He paused for a moment.  
  
Lily suddenly remembered where she had seen him before: in one of Severus's pictures. She hadn't paid much attention at that moment, but she thought to remember he had been a... Aurora? Aeor? She could not remember. Anyway, he now looked just like an old, good grandfather.  
  
"I'd like to remind you," the headmaster continued, "that the Forbidden Forest is, of course, forbidden to all students. It is also forbidden to have magic competitions in the corridors, or to walk around the school late at night. The prefects will be patrolling it, and they are allowed to take points from your house if you're found out of your dormitory. What else... ah, yes. First year students are allowed to fly on brooms ONLY during Flying lessons. If you want to be part of the Quiddich team, ask Professor Igle. Quiddich competitions will start to take place from October." He stopped again, everyone looking at him.  
  
A warm smile played on his face. "Welcome to this new year at Hogwarts!" he clapped his hands and the plates filled with food. Lily thought there was everything on that table: various kinds of meat, vegetables, fruit, cooked in the most extravagant ways. A party for eyes, nose, and, mostly, mouth.  
  
But Lily was not in the right humor to enjoy all that. Peter was joking with some of his new fellows, she was obviously out of his thoughts.  
  
"Try something," said an older girl at her side, smiling. Lily managed to smile back, and she took some potatoes. They tasted really good. After the very first mouthful, her stomach seemed to re-open and she realized she was very hungry. So, she took many other courses and spent the whole dinner time eating.  
  
* * *  
  
Half an hour later, with her stomach finally full, Lily was beginning to feel much better. Even if she hadn't really talked to any Gryffindor yet, she was seeing them as normal and also cheerful persons.  
  
Lily started to pay attention to her new fellows' conversations. She noticed that Peter was sitting near that boy, James Potter, who seemed to be the center of first-years attention.  
  
"... of course he did it! My father never lie! He was a Gryffindor, too, you know. And I mean it when I say that I really can't image how could someone willingly ask to be a Slytherin!" said the boy loudly  
  
"Yeah! You're right!" shouted Peter quickly.  
  
"PETER!!!" Lily hadn't even noticed she was shouting inside other people's conversation "How can you say that, when on the train you said you hoped to be a Slytherin, too?!"  
  
People stared at Peter.  
  
"It's... it's false! Liar! It's you who wanted to be a Slytherin! And you should be! You were sorted a Slytherin, why are you here?" everyone started looking at her. Lily felt really uncomfortable.  
  
"I... I don't know, you'd better ask the hat!"  
  
"But you'd prefer to be among them now!" Peter was re-gaining confidence in himself "Don't you?"  
  
Lily felt unsure "I... that's not the point, why are you talking so badly about Slytherin?"  
  
"Seeing that you were listening to our conversation, you should know that." It was Potter speaking this time.  
  
James stared at Lily's eyes, she swallowed. She didn't know what to say. She realized that she had entered a conversation without being invited, and they were now accusing her of wanting to be a Slytherin. She could not understand what was wrong with it because she hadn't listened to their whole conversation. She was not a meddler or a spy. She wanted to tell them, too, but all she was able to do was staying there, waiting for judgment to come.  
  
"Mind your own buisness, Slytherin girl!" said James harshly.  
  
Lily looked down on her plate, trying again not to cry. It was much worst than being in a house without anyone you know. Everybody at Gryffindor should have thought at her as an outsider. A Slytherin infiltrate. She felt lonely again. And hopeless, too.  
  
Lily closed in herself, always watching her empty plate for the following hour. Peter and his friends were sometimes joking on her, and every time she got closer to cry.  
  
* * *  
  
Finally, the headmaster got up again, announcing the end of the dinner and telling everybody to go straight to the dormitories.  
  
Lily followed, as all Gryffindors, a prefect guiding them through the labyrinth of corridors and stairs ("Watch out, they sometimes MOVE") to the painting of a fat woman. There the prefect, a girl named Alicia, said the password ("White Oleander") and they entered a large, comfortable room with a fireplace warming it. There were several armchairs and sofas, some tables and chairs as well.  
  
"This is our Common Room. You can stay here to study and to spend your free time, too." Alicia pointed the male and female dormitories.  
  
Lily found that her cases had already been placed, as everybody else's. Her room-mates did not talk to her, as they had seen what had happened at dinner. She undressed quickly and went to bed.  
  
When everybody was finally asleep, Lily started crying. 


	12. GETTING FAMOUS

Chapter Twelve  
  
GETTING FAMOUS  
  
The sun shines. There are no clouds in the sky. Grass is lightly green. Flowers smile to your eyes. A gentle breeze caresses your face. Your friends are here. Your parents, too. Everyone is happy. Everyone smiles. Suddendly, a thick darkness coming from far away covers the scene. Happiness is changed into fear. Smiles in cries. Life in death. Walking among your parents' and friends' corpses, you find a red flower sprouted out of a rock. A sibling. Behind you, a dark snake. Huge. Terrifing. He wants the flower. He'll kill; you have it. But you won't allow him to. You can't. For the flower is your last hope. The snake attacks. It tears your body apart. Pain comes quickly together with the consciousness that you are dying. But while your body is falling on the ground, you see the flower getting bigger and bigger. It shines, and its light destroyes the snake. Wake up, now. Wake up.  
  
* * *  
  
"Wake up, James! We'll be late!" Peter Pettigrew was shaking him. He was already half dressed in the school uniform.  
  
James opened his eyes slowly, yawning. His three roommates were up already. Peter, the young boy he had met at dinner the night before. He had asked so hopefully to be with him and his best friend, Sirius, that they had been forced to say yes. He was not bad, but he was on the heavy side. James wasn't sure how much he liked Peter.  
  
The boy in the bed next to him was, of course, Sirius Black. They had been friends since the age of five, because they had the same private teacher preparing them before entering Hogwarts.  
  
The last component was a boy that Sirius had met during the boat-trip. A boy called Remus Lupin. He had long hair tied back in a ponytale. Unusual. Even more unusual since he was very closed and shy. Nevetheless, Sirius had found him nice from the very first moment, and James agreed.  
  
"Come on! We'll be late!" Peter was jumping around the room, fully dressed already.  
  
"Oh, shut up Peter. We're coming," groaned Sirius, pulling on his trousers. They had overslept, but they weren't that late. Why the hell Peter was so restless?  
  
James managed to get washed and dressed in less than ten minutes, and they were down in the Great Hall before breakfast began. All the decorations of last dinner had been taken away, and the room looked much more like a (huge) everyday dining room.  
  
They sat about in the same seats as the day before. The plates were empty, and they wondered about when breakfast began.  
  
"Hey! There's Slytherin girl there! Haven't you taken the wrong table, Slytherin girl?" said Peter loudly. James noticed that the girl of the day before was sitting alone, at the end of the table. Lily. That was her name. She looked incredibly sad and lonely. James felt guilty for his behaviour.  
  
"Shut up, Peter," he said harshly.  
  
"But... but..." began the boy. He was interrupted as Dumbledore got up from teachers' table. Everyone looked at the headmaster.  
  
"Good morning, everyone," said the old wizard. "I hope you slept well. Or, at least, better than me. I had to fight with my bed because it tried to escape my room..." People shared concerned looks, but Dumbledore just smiled. "Anyway, this is our very first day of lessons. You'll find the schedule posted in your common rooms when you return from breakfast. Lessons shall begin at 8:30, and end at 2:00, with small pauses of a quarter of an hour between one lesson and the following, to allow you to get to the classrooms... or amuse yourself a bit. That's all I have to say. Let's eat!" he clapped his hands, and the plates filled with food.  
  
"I hope we'll have lesson with him as soon as possible!" said Sirius taking some potatoes "He was an Auror, you know. One of the best! I was really afraid when I heard he was to be the headmaster. I didn't want him to stop teaching!"  
  
"Yep!" agreed James.  
  
"I am a bit afraid of the flying lesson," said Remus.  
  
"You can't FLY?!" exclaimed James.  
  
"No. Never done it."  
  
"That's really a pity!! Don't worry, I'll teach you! I'm great at flying!" said James, proudly. "At home we have a Quiddich field nearby, and I always play with my dad and friends!"  
  
"Wow, really?! I've never played Quiddich myself because I was too young. But I always watch the matches!" said Peter.  
  
"Quiddich's great! It's the best sport ever!!" added Sirius  
  
"I watch the matches, too. But I never tried to fly or play, myself." Remus looked sorry.  
  
"Don't worry. James's great, he'll teach you! He taught me," said Sirius with a smile  
  
"Yep! I'm the best!!" said James.  
  
"But he needs to learn some modesty," said Sirius launching some bread crumbs at James's face.  
  
"AH! You want the war, then!" answered James, throwing some pieces of potatoes toward his friend. In some moments, the four were engaged in a food fight.  
  
"STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY!!!" shouted a witch coming from the teachers' table. It was Professor McGonagall, Gryffindor's head of house. The four remained very still, scared."  
  
"What are your names?" asked the woman, harshly  
  
"James Potter, ma'am," said the boy softly.  
  
"Sirius Black."  
  
"Peter Pettigrew."  
  
"Remus Lupin."  
  
Each of his friends responded with the same tone.  
  
"Very well. I'll remember you. Compliments, you've just made Gryffindor loose five points for each one of you, and the year has barely started!" said the witch before going back to her table.  
  
The four swallowed, looking around. Every single Gryffindor was staring at them angrily.  
  
"I think we'd better hurry and go back to the dormitory. We've done enough for today," whispered Remus  
  
"Yeah," agreed Peter. They finished breakfast quickly and headed to their room.  
  
"Well," began James when they were out of teachers' earshot, "at least everyone at Hogwarts knows our names. We're famous!"  
  
"Yes, but I don't think they'll like us much, since we made Gryffindor start the year at points -20!!" precised Sirius.  
  
"You can't have everything," said James, smiling. 


	13. THE BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES

Chapter Thirteen  
  
THE BEGINNING OF HOSTILITIES  
  
Even though they had gone back to the dormitory much before all other Gryffindors, James and his friends didn't stay long. Their very first lesson was Potions, down in the dungeons. Since they had no idea how to get there, they decided to leave early.  
  
They arrived in the Great Hall again as the last students were leaving. Sirius gave a quick look into the big room.  
  
"Hey! What's a Slytherin doing at our table?" he cried out in disgust.  
  
A young, black haired boy was sitting near Lily. They were having a lively conversation.  
  
"It's the Slytherin girl again!" shouted Peter.  
  
James felt unsure. He was regretting his behaviour the first time they had met, but he was also unhappy to see a Slytherin at their table. He was not even sure it was allowed. No teachers were in sight.  
  
Lily got up suddenly and, still speaking with the dark boy, went toward the door. She only noticed Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter when she was a few meters from them, and she stopped talking.  
  
"Then you really want to be a Slytherin!" began Sirius. An evil look gleamed in his eyes.  
  
"Let her stay!" the boy stood in front of Sirius, threatening.  
  
"Then it really was a mistake, you being put to Gryffindor! You even have a boyfriend at Slytherin!" said James harshly. If he had felt guilty, he could not remember now.  
  
Lily blushed but did not leave, even though her eyes were filling with tears.  
  
"I'm not her boyfriend. I'm a friend," precised the boy quitely, "and I think you should think back at your behaviour. What has she done to you, to make you be so cruel?" he said, looking James in the eyes. He could not hold the look.  
  
"You... you'd better think at what you've done! You're not allowed at our table!!" said Peter from behind Remus's back, trying to sound rude, but it was without great result.  
  
"Then it's true, Peter. I told Lily it was impossible that you were with them. I even defended you some moments before," said the boy, sounding more sad then angry. "Well, then. This is the end of our friendship" he added harshly.  
  
"Don't bother my friends," said James, regaining his sureness. He knew Peter was wrong, as well as he was. Anyway he could not help but feeling dislike for that dark, slimey Slytherin boy. Plus, the boy was right.  
  
"Otherwise?" asked the boy, challenging.  
  
"Otherwise you'll face the consequences."  
  
"What's goin' on here?" a small man with an evil expression had approached them. It was Apollyon Pringle, the caretaker.  
  
"Nothing, Mr. Pringle," said the boy, without breaking eye contact with James.  
  
"Absolutely nothing," added James, holding the look.  
  
"Well then, you'd better reach your classes. Lessons are about to begin," said the man with a sneer.  
  
After a last glance, James and his group went away from the two.  
  
"Who the hell is that boy? Peter, talk. You seemed to know him well," said while they were walking toward Potions class.  
  
"No... I..." began Peter  
  
"Stop it. You lied us. And don't think I won't remember that. Now talk: who is he?" James' rage was coming out all in a once. Rage against the boy, rage against the girl. Lily. Mostly, rage against himself. In truth, he didn't care that much about Peter's behaviour, he just happened to be a handy target for James's anger.  
  
"I... his name is Severus Snipe. Our families are friends ever since I can remember. But in truth, I've never tolerated him. I was forced to stay with him every summer," said Peter.  
  
"What about the girl?" asked James  
  
"I was with them on the train," Peter stopped a moment, then "She's a Mudblood!" he cried out as happy as a dog giving a stick back to its owner.  
  
"My mum is a Muggle. Any problem?" said Sirius angrily. Peter swallowed, feeling lost.  
  
"I don't care if her parents are Muggles. That's not the point, even if it explains why she didn't know about Slytherin. The point is that..." he stopped, as if he was looking for the right words. Nothing came.  
  
"That she still wants to be a Slytherin!" completed Peter, happy to be of any help.  
  
"Yes! That's the problem!" agreed James, trying to sound convincing at least to himself.  
  
"Can we really blame her?" said Remus. The other three stared at him. "I mean... she probably just wanted to be with someone she knew and, when that desire was realized, she found herself picked up and moved. Plus, we didn't give her the welcome she deserved. I'm sure that, thanks to yesterday, all the other girls avoided her in the dormitory. Now, can we blame her?" he asked again. Nobody answered.  
  
They walked to the Potions dungeon in silence. 


	14. POTIONS

Chapter Fourteen  
  
POTIONS  
  
James had thought that the Potions dungeon would be something very dark, with a lot of dead animals floating in glasses, strange and dangerous ingredients with skulls on the containers all around the walls, and things like that. After all, potions had been long been a focus in Dark Magic.  
  
Instead, Professor Puffin's class looked much more like a big kitchen. First of all, it was warm, even if it was in the underground: a big fireplace on the wall enlightened the room with a relaxing red light. Several tables were placed in front of it, with shelves and another little fireplace each. On the walls there were other lots of shelves with thousands of ingredients, but no skulls were in sight. The room was clean, but it also had that lived-in look that wouldn't have been out of place in a kitchen used daily.  
  
The classroom was already full, but the professor was still absent. Looking for a place for all of them, James noticed that they had class with the Slytherins. This rekindled his rage from the previous clash. Luckly that boy, Severus, had not yet arrived, and neither had Lily.  
  
They couldn't find enough seats to stay together, so James seated with Peter ("Sigh!") while the other three joined another group.  
  
A door opened in the back of the classroom, and a short, fat witch with unruly long hair entered the room. She was wearing a white apron, that wasn't exactly clean.  
  
"Goodmorning everybody!" she said, smiling with a powerful voice that echoed a bit in the big chamber. "I am Gilda Puffin, even if I'm sure you'll learn very quickly to call me Puffin. Ah! Ah!" the professor burst in a long laugh, followed by many students.  
  
"Anyway, I am your professor of Potions. The very first thing you have to undrestand about making potions is that it is not, as many of you may think, something dark or..." the main door opened suddendly and some late students entered the room  
  
"Sorry professor," said a Slytherin boy panting, "we got lost!" Some laughts followed.  
  
"Don't worry, don't worry. I know it's a bit hard to find this hole the first time. Try to remember the way for the next time. Now take your seats." The group did as told, and James saw Severus and Lily entering together with the others and going to sit down at the same table. A Slytherin table.  
  
"Well," began again Mrs. Puffin "as I was saying, making potions is really similar to... hey! What are you doing there? Aren't you a Gryffindor?" asked the woman to Lily.  
  
"Ehm... yes, ma'am. I didn't think it was a problem to sit down with some friends..." said the girl, blushing  
  
"It is not, of course. At least for me. But you've just began attending Hogwarts, you'd better try to make new friends, and I think it's better to begin with your house fellows, seeing that you'll spend a lot of time with them. Look, there's a free seat there" said pointing James and Peter's table. Lily felt bad.  
  
"I already know them..." she tried as last resort.  
  
"Very well, there shall be no problem, then!" concluded Professor Puffin, smiling sincerely, without any knowledge of Lily's feelings. Lily got up, giving a desperate look to Severus and went toward James' table as a condemned goes to the gallows.  
  
"Hi" said James, as Peter was trying to avoid her eyes.  
  
"Hmpf" mumbled her as answer. What did that stupid boy think? After all he had done to her, she was not even going to say hello to him.  
  
Professor Puffin began to describe a simple potion called Flashy Hair that was used for hairstyling. Lily was really happy when she heard the name, because she had already done it at home (with a great result on Grandma's hair) and it was very easy.  
  
"Now, try to make one. We'll see who comes out with the best hairstyle!" said the witch with a laugh. Lily felt bad for her hair when she saw Peter looking at the ingredients. It was clear that he had no idea of what was a blizzard or how to cut the flowers of hornicaria. She took some ingredients for herself and began to work.  
  
"We're supposed to do this together," said James.  
  
"I did not ask to be with you," answered Lily, her voice as cool as his had been earlier.  
  
"Nor did I, but I think she'll get angry if we come out with three different potions."  
  
"Well, I'll NEVER use a potion made by him," said Lily pointing Peter, who was pouring the ape-milk in the cauldron directly form the container, spreading it around and making quite a mess.  
  
"Peter! What the hell are you doing?! You have to measure it before pouring!" shouted James taking the milk from Peter's hand.  
  
"Now go and wash the cauldron!"  
  
"But..." began Peter  
  
"Go!" ordered James,and Peter did without replying  
  
Lily was cutting the flowers with sure movements. Almost a bit too sure.  
  
"Hey! You really look to know what to do!" said James, smiling  
  
"I've already done it at home," replied Lily, as cold as possible.  
  
"Listen, Peter and I don't have any idea of how to make this thing," started James.  
  
"Oh, what a strange thing! I thought you both were purebloods!" said the girl ironically, continuing to cut the flowers.  
  
"That doesn't mean anything! Listen, we gotta do it together. What do you think Professor Puffin will say when you show her your SINGLE work?" He had a point.  
  
"You just tell us what to do, and we will. I'll watch out for Peter," finished James, hopefully.  
  
Lily knew he was right, and this only made her get madder at him. But she had no choice.  
  
"Alright, but no jokes," she said looking at James in the eyes.  
  
"'Kay."  
  
So they began to prepare the ingredients. Lily, who had finished cutting the flowers, measured the milk and began working with the cauldron, giving orders to the other two.  
  
"Peter! This is a mess! We can't use it!" she cried out hysterically when she saw how the boy had grinded the blizzard.  
  
"Well, this isn't easy to do!" replied Peter, upset.  
  
"No, Peter, it's you who are helpless!" said James with a laugh. Lily laughed, too, then she realized what she was doing and got serious again.  
  
"Give it to me, and I'll do it myself" said the girl, impatient.  
  
"No, I'll do it." James took the blizzard from Lily's hands. "You go on with the cauldron, otherwise we'll won't finish," he said, smiling. She forced herself not to return it.  
  
Ten minutes later, all the ingredients had been put inside of the cauldron. Now, they just had to wait.  
  
"How do you think it is?" asked James  
  
"How can I know? We'll see when we put it on our hair," answered Lily. Then, she reminded, "And don't even think I'll be the first!"  
  
"I think Peter should try on first," said James laughing.  
  
"Me?! Why me?!" asked Peter, scared.  
  
"'Cause you've done next to nothing up to now," answered Lily.  
  
"You... you just shut up, you stupid Slytherin girl!" cried out the young wizard  
  
"Peter!" shouted James without letting Lily the opportunity to reply. "If it wasn't for her, we'd have never done it! Or I have to remind you your brilliant prove with the milk? You'll try it," he concluded with a tone that admitted no reply.  
  
"Everybody! Have you finished?" asked Professor Puffin "Very well! We'll now go on with the experimentation!" she added, walking toward a group of Gryffindors. She took a ladle and watched the potion  
  
"It should be less cloudy, but it should work anyway. Who tries?" A little boy got up, shyly. The professor poured a bit of the potion on his head, moved his hair with her hand and, after some moments, the boy had a beautiful hairstyle. There was just one problem: his hair were green. The whole class burst into a laugh, together with the professor.  
  
"Not bad, anyway," said the woman after a while and went on.  
  
She tried a Slytherin group potion ("Hair usually feel the force of gravity"), then another Gryffindor ("Don't worry, that will go away in some hours") and refused to try a mud-like potion from a group of Slytherins with uncertain looks.  
  
"This is perfect!" commented the witch after trying Severus' potion. The girl had a beautiful hairstyle with color as only a few hairdresser can do. Severus smiled at Lily as she applauded with the Slytherins. A few of the Gryffindors scowled.  
  
"Now, let's see the next," said Professor Puffin walking toward Lily's table.  
  
"Who's going to try it?" Peter got up "No, you cannot try it! Your hair is too short, and we won't see a thing! We need someone with longer hair!" she said, looking at Lily while Peter sighed for relief.  
  
"I'll try it" said James, getting up. Lily stared at him.  
  
"Ah, well, ok!" the prof poured the potion on James's head and, after a few moments, he had a banana hairstyle. Some students laughed, but the majority applauded.  
  
"Very good!" said Mrs Puffin, smiling.  
  
She finished the tour around, and all the other results were nothing compared with Lily and Severus'. At the end, she stood in front of the class.  
  
"Ok, we're done. I think everybody agrees with me on which hairstyles were the best. I give five points to each person on those two tables," she said pointing James and Severus's tables. Peter, James, and Lily shared a happy look. Severus didn't catch Lily's eye when she grinned at him.  
  
"I hope you enjoyed your first Potions lesson. I'll see you on Friday, so have a good day. Good-bye!" concluded Mrs Puffin, still smiling.  
  
Lily packed her things quickly and tried to reach Severus, to congratulate him. James followed her and grabbed her arm  
  
"What do you want?" she asked, and she didn't sound as harsh as she once had.  
  
"I... I just wanted to tell you that you were great with that potion," said James, shyly.  
  
"Happy of having recovered the points you made Gryffindor loose?"  
  
"NO! I mean, yes, of course, but that's not the point. I just wanted..."  
  
"Still annoying her, Potter?" asked Severus harshly, reaching Lily's side.  
  
"Mind your own buisness, dirty Slytherin!" said James.  
  
"At least he does not need to ask help form someone he used to hate!" shouted Lily, angry.  
  
"Watch out at what you say, Slytherin girl!" said Sirius, reaching them together with Remus and Peter.  
  
"You, too!" said Severus, threatening. Then, he and Lily turned and went away.  
  
"Bastard," mumbled James. He stared at them a moment, then  
  
"Let's go, we have other lessons and another 10 points to recover for Gryffindor!" 


	15. FLYING

Chapter Fifteen  
  
FLYING  
  
They didn't have any more lessons with the Slytherins that day, and for the three that followed. The lessons were so intenses that neither James nor his friends had time to think about either Severus or Lily.  
  
Transfiguration seemed almost impossible to all of them, and this was really bad since they had six hours of it every week. Professor McGonagall was strict and seemed to like very much giving them homework. Her subject quickly became the one they hated the most.  
  
The most boring class was History of Magic, taught by Professor Binns. He was the oldest professor at school (even older than Dumbledore!), and was the oldest wizard most students had ever seen. His voice seemed to have only one tone: slow, lacking any kind of inflession, it had the great ability of making the Bloody War of the Eight Years as boring as a sewing course. After three lessons (and about four hundred pages of material) the only thing the class had learned was sleeping with open eyes.  
  
Then there was Charms, taught by Professor Flitwick, a really short man who had to stand on a pile of books in order to see beyond the desk. Some students said he was a half-blood coming from a human and a house-elf. The very first spell he taught them was Wingardium Leviosa, a charm used to lift objects. The tiny wizard squeaked and clapped his hands, proclaiming it was one he used very often.  
  
Professor Holeande taught Herbology. She was very thin and her skin was a bit green, so to make her look like some of her vegetables.  
  
Finally, it was friday, and they were finally going to have Defense Against the Dark Arts. They had their very first Flying lesson, too. Remus was so scared that he ate next to nothing at breakfast, and when they finally were on the ground, his kneels were quivering.  
  
"Good morning everyone!" said an old but really fit witch walking quickly toward them in the field "My name is Clarissa Rowen. I am your Flying teacher."  
  
Clarissa? Lily's head started to work. Where had she heard that name before? She was standing, as usual, near the teacher and far from James, of course. After that little team-work at Potions, they had both been careful to stay away from each other, and Lily had managed to stay with Severus and a small group of Slytherins for as long as possible, without caring about her fellow Gryffindors' comments. After all, no one had talked to her after James's exploit during the Welcome Dinner.  
  
"So, what are you waiting for? Stretch your hand on the broom and say 'Up!'" said the Professor, doing it herself. Her broom jumped in her hand. All the students got trying, without a great result.  
  
"Up! UP! UUUUUPP!" shouted Lily, but her broom was only rolling on the ground. Instead, with Lily's great disappointment, James had done it almost immediately. It was clear he was used to doing so.  
  
After a quarter of an hour of "Ups", everybody had his broom in the hand, and the lesson finally began.  
  
"Now get on your brooms. When I give the signal, push with your feet and lift in the air. Then, tilt and get back to the ground. All clear?" Lily was staring at her, unconvinced. Was she really meaning what she had just said? To Lily's eyes the one she was holding was nothing more than a normal broom. She had thought that flying should have taken time. A lot of time. And that strange woman was telling her to do it right there?  
  
"So, are you ready?" questioned the witch. "GO!"  
  
All the students jumped in the air, under Lily's umbelieving look.  
  
"Well, anything wrong, miss..." asked the Professor when everybody was back on the ground  
  
"Eh? Oh, sorry. I mean, my name is Lily, Lily Evans. It's just that... ehm... sorry." The witch looked at her curiously. Peter laughed noisy, as did a handful of other students.  
  
"Let's go for another one. Everyone ready? GO!" this time Lily did as the others and, with great astonishment, the broom supported her weight in the air. She was flying!!  
  
"Alright, now everyone go back on the ground. Good... I said everyone, Miss Evans" Lily looked at Professor Rowen, really scared. It was the broom supporting her. How could she go back? She was grapping the wodden broom as tightly as possible, terrorified.  
  
"Don't worry, miss Evans. Do as I tell you and everything will be ok. Now try to tilt the broom using your own weight. Come on... Slowly, slowly... alright! See, it's not difficult!" Lily was panting and had grown a bit pale, but she felt much better now that her feet were on the ground again. She heard some laughs coming from James's group, but she did not care.  
  
"Well, we'll do it again now. Ready?" Lily felt anxious and looked at the professor hopefully "GO!" was the only word that came from her. Lily pushed the ground again and, once in the air, she managed to get back on the ground. She had just put her feet on the grass, when a noise came from her left. Someone had fallen.  
  
"What's happening?" asked Professor Rowen, walking quickly toward the boy on the ground. It was Remus. After the very first times, he had grown sure of himself very quickly, helped in this by James (who had done each exercise with an annoyed expression and was now flying without keeping his hands on the broom). Remus had pushed too hard and was now lying with his face on the grass.  
  
"Are you ok?" asked the witch, helping him getting up. James, Sirius, and Peter were laughing  
  
"Yes, yes ma'am" answered the boy, cleaning his face with the sleeve of his robes.  
  
"And you three should better stop smiling, if you don't want me to take more points to Gryffindor, after those you lost on Monday." The three stopped at once "Flying is not easy, if you're not used to," said Mrs Rowen, cooly, while taking her place back at the front of the group..  
  
"Well, once again," she called some moments later.  
  
They passed the rest of the lesson repeating the same exercise, and James managed to loose three points for doing unrequested acrobatics.  
  
"This is all for today. Leave your brooms here and I'll see you next week. Have a nice day!"  
  
All the students went toward the scholl main entrance.  
  
"Don't worry, Remus. It's always difficult at the beginning," said James, giving his friend a pat on the back.  
  
"Yeah, then why were you laughing before?" asked Remus, angrily.  
  
"Oh, come on! You were really funny, you know. Let's make it this way: I'll give you some private lessons in order to make you forgive me. Okay?"  
  
"And how are you supposed to do it, since we're not allowed to fly outside of lessons? We don't even have out own brooms!" replied Remus sarcastically.  
  
"You'll see, don't worry!" said James with a mysterious smile.  
  
Lily had remained behind the other students, thinking. Clarissa... of course! Grandma's friend! But how could it be?  
  
She looked back at the teacher, who was speaking with a blonde girl. Lily got nearer.  
  
"Yes, Miss Evans" asked the witch, stopping the conversation with the student.  
  
"Ehm... I'm sorry I've interrupted you, I didn't mean to... I can wait," said Lily shyly  
  
"Don't worry. This is my granddaughter, Clara. She's from Gryffindor, too. Have you two met yet?"  
  
"No, it's nice to meet you, Clara." Lily smiled, extending her hand. The girl smiled back, and it was genuine.  
  
"Nice to meet you, too!"  
  
"So, what did you wanted to ask me?" questioned Mrs Rowen  
  
"I... it might sound silly, but... when you were young, about ten years old, did you have a Muggle friend called May?" The witch stared at her. "No, I'm sure not. Excuse me, it was just..."  
  
"I had one," answered the old woman. Lily looked at her, astonished, and so did Clara "I had a Muggle friend, once. I've even told her that I was a witch. I remember that I was really sorry that she could not come to Hogwarts with me. I never saw her after I left the school." In her voice there was a tone of regret. "How do you know this, anyway?"  
  
"'Cause she's my grandma! She told me about you!" said Lily happily.  
  
"Really?! Ah! This is great coincidence! How is she?"  
  
"She's fine. You know, she was really happy when I received the letter, 'cause she had hoped all her life to get here, or at least that her children could do this."  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry. I think I shouldn't have showed her my powers, that day" said the professor sadly.  
  
"No! You did great! If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here now! I have to thank you for that!"  
  
"Well, I'm happy to know that a youth's error turned out in something useful. I'd like to talk more about her, but you have other lessons to attend. You'd better go."  
  
"Bye, grandma!" said Clara giving her a quick hug  
  
"Goodbye ma'am" said Lily.  
  
"When we're not having class, you can call me Clarissa," said the witch, smiling.  
  
"Oh, well, okay... goodbye Clarissa!" 


	16. THE MAGIC POWER

Chapter Sixteen  
  
THE MAGIC POWER  
  
"Your grandma's really cool, you know?" said Lily while they were walking toward the main entrance.  
  
"Yeah, she's great. She even played on the Quidditch National Team!" giggled Clara proudly  
  
"Quiddi-what?"  
  
"YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT?! Quidditch! It's the most beautiful sport EVER!! How can you not know it?" questioned Clara, astonished.  
  
"Well, you know, my parents are nor... Muggles. And I didn't even know I was a witch until three mounths ago," explained Lily with an embarassed smile. Clara was the very first person talking to her, and she really wanted to be her friend.  
  
"I see... well, I'll have to explain you then!" The blonde girl began explaining the basis of Quidditch: the seven players, the Quaffle, the Bludgers, and the Snitch, as well as the game play. Lily was trying to figure out exactly what kind of game Quidditch was, but she really wasn't succeeding.  
  
"I don't think I get this game... I mean, what's the point of the Chasers and the Beaters if everything depends entirely from the Seeker?"  
  
"You forgot the Keepers. It's untrue that everything is in Seeker's hands. Of course, the Seeker is the most important of all players, but sometimes a team wins the game when the other gets the Snitch. You have to take under consideration that Quidditch matches can last hours, even days... Oh, no! We have Defense against the Dark Arts now! And we're late!" the two girls took off as fast as they could, and they managed to get in the class in the very moment when Professor Dumbledore had began speaking.  
  
"Excuse us, professor," said Lily, panting. All the students were staring at them. The old wizard smiled quitely.  
  
"Don't worry, don't worry. Please sit down, now. So, what was I saying? Ah, yes. It is good that you clearly understand what Dark Magic means," the professor was standing in front of the class, partially leaning against the teacher's desk "First of all, Dark Magic means absolute absense of respect for rules. Any kind of rules. Written rules, spoken rules, and, mostly, moral and conscience rules." He paused for a moment "During your seven years here, you'll learn how to duel. Duelling is good practice; it is useful for learning spells and how to interact with a partner, but nothing else. A Dark wizard will never DUEL with you. He will NEVER respect the procedure, nor will he give you any time to prepare for the fight. If he can take any advantage of you, he won't think twice about doing so... Yes, Mr...?" James Potter had lifted his hand.  
  
"Potter. James Potter. Excuse me for interrupting, professor. I was just wandering why we have to learn how to duel, if it won't be of any use, in reality...?"  
  
"Good question. I was waiting for someone to do it. Let me answer with another question: what does 'reality' mean?" asked the wizard with a knowing smile. James remained stuck a moment; he had not expected that reply.  
  
"Well... I guess it means when you face a Dark wizard that wants to kill you."  
  
"Yes, that could be an answer. And what would happen, then?"  
  
"I guess that... one of the two..."  
  
"...remains on the floor. Correct, Mr Potter. So, can we let you have 'real' fights here at school?" Dumbledore smiled and James gave the smile back. "We wouldn't have so many students if we did! No, duelling is a good practice. A good game, sometimes," he said, another smile playing on his face, "but nothing more. If or when you face the Dark Arts, there's only one good rule to follow: be prepared. Expect the unexpected. A little demonstration to show you what I mean, perhaps? Mr. Potter, would you come here, please?" James blushed as the whole class watched him approach the old wizard.  
  
Meanwhile, Professor Dumbledore had taken a big stick from behind the desk. It was a weathered wooden stick, grey in color, that looked like a tree branch, and Dumbledore leaned against it as if he was tired.  
  
"We will duel. Don't worry, I won't hurt you, Mr. Potter," assured Dumbledore as James paled. "I am on the side of evil, and Mr. Potter is fighting for the general good. Now," said the seasoned wizard, placing his wand on his desk, "what do you think I can do? I don't have my wand, while Mr. Potter... please take your wand out. Thank you. While Mr Potter still has his. He is also much younger than me, and thus has the agility of youth on his side. He could easily cast a spell against me before I could even take a step, right?" The class nodded together.  
  
Dumbledore made an quick movement with the stick, and James felt he was unable to move. Then, with another movement, the old wizard lifted him in the air, above his classmates' heads. After two circles, James gently landed and took control of his body again. All the students were astonished.  
  
"Now, how could I do that without a wand, without saying any charm, without conjuring any spell?" The disbelief in his students' eyes told him that no one was going to answer. In truth, for Lily that demonstration was just another one in her long list of the odd things she had seen lately, but she was not going to show her lack of wizarding knowledge again in front of James' group and the rest of the class.  
  
"My stick! Of course, many of you know that in the past some wizards used sticks instead of wands, but, from your faces, I can see that none of you anticipated that the use of a stick would forgo the need for words." Lily was beginning to understand, as were the others.  
  
"Excuse me, professor?" A brunette boy had raised his hand.  
  
"Yes, Mr...?"  
  
"Albert Swalloney. I thought that the use of sticks was outlawed some years ago," said the little boy shyly.  
  
"Correct Mr. Swalloney. It was outlawed before any one of you was born, but I don't think they'll arrest me for making this little demonstration," said Dumbledore, laughing.  
  
"But why is it illegal? I mean, it looks like it could be very helpful in some circumstances not to use spells" asked James. He was still standing near the professor.  
  
"It is helpful, but it is also very dangerous. A stick is very difficult to control." The class was staring at him with questioning eyes "Well, I guess I'll have to explain now... I should have expected this... Mr. Potter, thank you. You may take your seat now." James took his place near Sirius once more.  
  
"Where should I begin? Hmmm... okay. You all know that magic simply refers to the power within the witch or wizard. It is within in each and every one of you, and that is why you are here. It does not come from a wand, a stick, or a spell. They are only conductors.  
  
"Imagine a fire. It illuminates what is near it, right? If I wanted it to enlighten just one single corner of my room, I would have to place a screen in front of it so it would only illuminate that corner. Now, imagine that we are that flame, our power the light, the screen the wand or stick or spell.  
  
"The difference between wands and sticks is that sticks can conduct, or bring out, much more power. This is why you don't need to associate them with spells. This makes things very dangerous. The power freed can be more than what you can control, and it could end up destroying you," said Dumbledore, the twinkle temporarily gone from his eyes. "The more powerful a wizard is, the more difficult it is to control his power, but don't think that lack of control makes him a bad wizard. Power likes to be exercised." He paused a moment, watching his students  
  
"I hope it's now clear why sticks are forbidden, or even other things. You'll study it one day in History of Magic, but you should know that the wizard that gives the name to your house, Godric Gryffindor, used a sword to concentrate his power."  
  
The students shared astonished looks. Sirius grinned at James. "Awesome!" he whispered excitedly.  
  
"And other wizards used even more unconventional weapons, like axes and rings, even bows and arrows!" Dumbledore looked satisfied at his students' amazed expressions.  
  
"All right, now... Oh, my! It's later than I thought! Well, I would like you to write a brief essay on the argument against sticks." A chorus of weak protests arose from the students. Dumbledore chuckled. "It's really not that big of a deal! Now, leave! It's lunch-time!"  
  
All the students packed up their things and walked toward the door.  
  
"Did you already know anything Professor Dumbledore said?" asked Lily to Clara  
  
"No! I didn't even know about that story of the 'magic power'! People usually don't care about how those things work. They just know they do," answered the little girl, smiling "Let's go, I want you to meet some of my friends!"  
  
"Oh, I don't know if that's a good idea..." whispered Lily. She was worried that Clara's friends had avoided her up until that point because of James and his friends. And it just seemed too good to have a friend, finally. Despite Lily's fears, Clara giggled.  
  
"Don't worry. We know all about those stupid things that 'Mr. Potter' said, and I can assure you that my friends won't care at all," concluded Clara, grinning. Lily felt her heart filling with gratitude.  
  
The two walked toward the Great Hall, talking about how stupid James was.  
  
Meanwhile, that same boy was playing Godric Gryffindor with Sirius and Peter. "Ah! I am the invincible Godric Gryffindor, with his amazing sword!" called James, wielding his pen-case "Yooo! Take this, evil Molodor!" He thunked Peter on his head. The boy pushed him back, and he ran into Remus, who was walking in front of them.  
  
"Oops! Sorry! What are you looking at?" asked James, seeing his friend glancing down the hall. "Oh, it looks like the Slytherin girl finally found a companion," said James with a smirk.  
  
"Yeah..." 


	17. THE WHOMPING WILLOW

Chapter Seventeen  
  
THE WHOMPING WILLOW  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I said many times, my story is linked to Just Like Hermione's "Harry Potter and the Truest Power" (http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1144913&chapter=1), and I think that from my last chapters some of these links are clear :). I'd really like to know what you think about my story, comments or suggestions are welcome. So please REVIEW!!  
  
Thank you  
  
Kobra  
  
* * *  
  
"Lily, this is Melissa, and this is Chloe," said Clara, smiling. The first girl was a tall, brunette with big green eyes. She was very beautiful, and Lily felt a little envious. The other was much smaller than all four and her hair were red, just as Lily's, but she hadn't the freckles that Lily had inherited from her mother, which Mr. Evans thought were absolutely lovely. She easily passed unseen near her shining friend.  
  
"Nice to meet you!" said Lily, smiling back.  
  
"Lily was a bit worried that you wouldn't like her because of what that boy, James Potter, and his friends say about her," explained Clara.  
  
"Oh, you really don't have to worry about that! I told them that I thought he was an idiot from the very first moment I saw him! Did I, Chloe?" Melissa looked sincere, indignate, and sympathetic.  
  
"True," added the short girl as they walked toward the Great Hall. "I really couldn't believe how he treated you on the first day. I thought your roommates weren't going to care about that, but I gess they did, right?"  
  
"Right. You are the very first Gryffindor girls I've talked with." The other three stared at her, astonished.  
  
"That is... IMPOSSIBLE!!!! I mean, how... how could... OHHH! We're going to have to get BACK at them!!! We'll have to get at HIM. That James Potter... UUUHHMM!!!" Melissa burst.  
  
"I don't care if he pays or not. I just want to avoid him as much as possible, that's all." Lily was genuine.  
  
"But you HAVE to do something! I..." Clara agreed with her friend  
  
"The less I think about him, the better it is. I don't feel like pulling anything on him," said the girl as they entered the Great Hall. They were all hungry and quickly sat at the Gryffindor table. Lily was really happy to have friends to eat with.  
  
They had just taken their seats when James's group entered the room. Remus was the first, and he seemed to be searching the hall for someone; the other three were behind him, talking.  
  
"That BASTARD!!" whispered Melissa.  
  
"Yep!" agreed Clara "His friend is looking here... Hey! What are you looking at?!" she shouted, annoyed. Remus blushed and looked away quickly, heading for his usual seat.  
  
As usual, Dumbledore clapped his hands and the dishes filled with food. James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter took a lot of meat and potatoes and started inhaling their lunch, momentarily stopping their discussion about Godric Gryffindor and his sword.  
  
"Ohh, that's... DISGUSTING!!" cried Clara watching the four boys eat. "They eat like animals! You'd think they grew up on a FARM!" Remus was the only one to hear her (or at least was the only one to care) and suddendly straightened and slowed down his chewing, just as his mother had taught so many times. Clara noticed that but said nothing.  
  
"Look, the Slytherin girl has found some friends!" said Peter as he finished his second helping.  
  
"I know, I said that before. Well, good for her. At least, she won't spend all her time with that Snape!" said James, forcing himself not to look at Lily.  
  
"Don't you think we should apologize with her?" suggested Remus shyly.  
  
"No!! I mean..." began Peter, but no one cared about him.  
  
"I tried to a few days ago, in Potions, but she's really impossible! She wouldn't even listen to me!! I don't care anymore," said James darkly.  
  
"Well, we could at least stop tormenting her." Remus was not about to give up.  
  
"But... but..." Peter was looking for a good argument.  
  
"I agree with Remus. It is time to stop. The best of games always end too soon," said Sirius, happy to sound so clever.  
  
"By the way, why are you so willing to torment her, Peter?" asked James harshly. Peter really got on his nerves sometimes.  
  
"I... no, it's just that..." mumbled the boy, looking down. He was saved by the headmaster standing up in that very moment.  
  
"Please, everyboy. I have an announcement to make." The room grew silent at once. "Our school has just received the great privilege of having a Whomping Willow on school property. It is an old species of magical tree that is quickly disappearing, so we should be proud that the Ministry of Magic has given us the great honor of keeping one here. It will be bed out near the Forbidden Forest, and it must be considered forbidden as well. Let me warn you: the Whomping Willow is one of the last of the moving trees left in our world. It will attack whoever gets near it, so don't do it. You can appreciate its beauty from far away. Thank you." The seasoned wizard sat down again.  
  
"A Whomping Willow... COOL!!" commented Sirius.  
  
"Yeah," said James lazily. He had eaten a little too much. "I'm going to the common room. Anyone else coming?"  
  
"I am!" answered Peter at once.  
  
"Me too," added Sirius.  
  
"We're all coming," concluded Remus, getting up.  
  
They were going out of the room, when Dumbledore called, "Mr. Lupin! May I have a word with you?" The four shared questioning looks, and Remus went nervously toward the teachers' table.  
  
"I really hope he's going to be punished for something!" said Melissa, grinning evilly.  
  
"Ohh, come on, Melly! You're getting worse than them, you know!" said Chloe.  
  
"Dumbledore doesn't look angry," commented Clara sadly as the headmaster entered a door near his table, the boy following him.  
  
* * *  
  
James, Sirius and Peter went to the Gryffindor Tower. After a quarter of an hour, Remus joined them in the common room.  
  
"So, what's wrong?" asked Sirius curiously.  
  
"My mum's not feeling well. I'm going home for two days tomorrow," answered Remus.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Sirius.  
  
"It's not something serious, is it?" questioned James, concerned.  
  
"No, no. Nothing to worry about. Just a cold... I'm really tired. I'm going upstairs for awhile to rest," said Remus, smiling, and he went on the stairs.  
  
"And he goes home after less than a week for a COLD?!" commented James.  
  
"Maybe it's a bad cold," suggested Peter.  
  
James looked at him, disappointed.  
  
"I hope it's nothing serious, but if he doesn't want to talk about it, I'm not gonna ask," said Sirius. The other two agreed. 


	18. ATTACKS ABROAD

Chapter Eighteen  
  
ATTACKS ABROAD  
  
Two weeks had passed since Remus's weekend at home. He had said his mother was feeling better. None of his friends really believed him. On returning, he looked incredibly pale and tired, as if he hadn't slept at all during his time at home, but nobody made questioned him. A few days later Remus was back to normal, and the event was forgotten.  
  
They were in the Great Hall for breakfast one sunny morning in September. James had had a strange smile on his face since the evening before, but he had given no explanation.  
  
"We're on for tonight," announced James in a whisper. From his expression, he couldn't have waited a moment longer.  
  
"What?" asked Sirius.  
  
"Our little flying lesson," said James, smiling at Remus. His friend paled.  
  
"I don't think it's such a great idea..." mumbled the young boy, thinking about his past experiences with the brooms. Their last flying lesson hadn't gone well for him.  
  
James, instead, had begun to enjoy Professor Rowen's hours because she had decided to divide the class into two groups, beginner and expert. In the very last lesson she had even began to give him personal exercises, since he was the best in the class. She had already expressed that he should try out for the house quidditch team the following year, much to Clara's great disappointment.  
  
Remus was, of course, in the beginners' group, and he was feeling like he was the worst of the class. To make things even more unbearable, Lily's new friends were always staring at him and laughing at his every error. The evilest was the tall one, Melissa, but the one that hurt him the most was the Professor's niece, Clara.  
  
"I don't think it's a good idea," repeated Remus. "What if Pringle catches us out of the dormitory?"  
  
"Don't worry about that. I have a plan." The mysterious smile was back on James' face.  
  
"But... how are we supposed to get the brooms? And were will we practice? I mean, someone will see us if we do it on the grounds!"  
  
"Oh, come on Remus! Don't be a coward!!" said James, patting his friend's shoulder.  
  
"Yep! Don't worry!" agreed Sirius smiling.  
  
"Do you know what he's got on his mind?" questioned Remus.  
  
"Nope, but I trust him. If he says he's got a plan, then there's nothing to worry about. Oh, the post is coming!" The owls were flying down the room with the students' morning mail.  
  
* * *  
  
"Oh, here's my paper." Chloe was holding the latest edition of the Daily Prophet, reading the front page news.  
  
"Merlin," she whispered after reading the headline.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked Lily. Both Melissa and Clara were staring at Chloe.  
  
"Listen to this. 'Disaster Strikes Wizards' Paris. An attack last night on Paris's magic community claimed the lives of 11 wizards and 30 Muggles, writes Jimili Fifer, Special Correspondent.  
  
"The attack, the fifth of its kind, follows the pattern established from recent raids in Berlin, Budapest, Brumsburg and Rome. The primary damage was done to wizards' property, targeting the local Gringotts in each city. Eyewitnesses claim that a large group of masked wizards stormed the bank just after midnight, razing the outer building to the ground.  
  
"Several thousand Galleons have been seized in each of the five raids. Beyond the extensive damage at Gringotts, the masked wizards continued their attack on the surrounding homes and shops. Over a dozen buildings were reduced to rubble, and the attackers left the city exposed to Muggle eyes for some hours afterward.  
  
"Almost all of the Ministries of Magic have joined forces to search for the answers to the many questions currently being fielded at them.' Kinda weird, isn't it?" said Chloe with a forced smile.  
  
For several moments, the four girls looked down to their dishes without speaking.  
  
"Look," said Clara, pointing to the teachers' table, "it looks like the headmaster read the news as well."  
  
Dumbledore had got up from his seat, grabbed the newspaper, and left half of his breakfast untouched.  
  
Lily had lost her appetite, so she, too, got up and went toward the common room.  
  
"Lily!" Severus had followed her out the Great Hall.  
  
"Severus! How are you? I haven't seen you in ages!" said Lily, smiling sincerely. In truth, she was feeling a bit guilty for not hanging out with him anymore, but since she had met Clara, she had spent all her free time with her new friends.  
  
"Yep! I saw you finally found some friends. I'm happy for you" said the boy. Severus was also smiling.  
  
"I was just wandering..." Severus seemed to be searching for the right words. "You could still hang out with us sometimes... your friends too, of course." He seemed embarassed.  
  
"Yes, of course! I'd really like for you to know Clara and the others!" answered Lily. "I... I'm sorry Severus. I know I haven't spent any time with you since I met them."  
  
"Don't worry, I understand. So, let's just keep in touch, okay?"  
  
"Yep! Thanks, Severus!" said Lily. Then, she gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and headed off towards the Gryffindor tower. Severus remained there, petrified, staring blankly ahead.  
  
"Then she really IS your girlfriend!" The annoying voice was coming from behind him, and Severus didn't need to turn to know whose was it.  
  
"Mind your own buisness, Potter!"  
  
"Lily's a Gryffindor! This IS our buisness!" shouted Peter from James's side.  
  
"Shut up, Peter," answered Severus.  
  
"Don't tell him what to do!" exclaimed Sirius  
  
"You've got a problem with me, Potter? Tell me, what have I done to you? What has SHE done to you?" James felt that bad feeling again. It was precisely what he hated about Severus. And Lily. They just brought the worst out of him, and he was not proud of his behaviour. "What's this, Potter? She's not my girlfriend, but you really look JEALOUS!" smirked Severus.  
  
"Watch your mouth, Slytherin boy!!" James sprang forward, grabbing Severus's collar.  
  
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" shouted Professor McGonagall, approaching the group. "Mr. Potter! It's you again, I see! Very well, ten points from Gryffindor for your behavior, and tonight you'll have a detention with me!" The witch was furious, and all the boys were too scared to reply.  
  
"And you are...?" she asked Severus.  
  
"Severus Snape," answered the young wizard guiltily.  
  
"I'll report your behavior to your head of house. Now, go. You have class."  
  
James and Severus shared a look of contempt before scurrying off in opposite directions.  
  
* * *  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you like this story, please help me go on! REVIEW!! It's much easier to write if there's someone reading! :)  
  
Thank you  
  
Kobra 


	19. DETENTION

Chapter Nineteen  
  
DETENTION  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for not uploading before, I'm a bit busy these days. To apologise, I made a longer chapter:) Hope you like it! REVIEW!  
  
Thank you  
  
Kobra  
  
* * *  
  
"Well, it looks like we won't be able to make our little flying lesson, tonight," said James a few minutes later.  
  
"Don't worry," answered Remus, not really upset in thinking he could avoid the highly dangerous trip.  
  
"I can't believe that McGonagall was around! We must be incredibly unlucky," commented Sirius.  
  
"I don't think it's a question of luck. Why do you always act like that towards Snape and Evans?" Remus sounded concerned.  
  
James continued to walk, looking down and remaining silent.  
  
"I mean, I haven't know you for that long," said Remus, "but you really don't look like the kind of person who would attack someone else just for... for nothing!"  
  
"It's not nothing! It's Sev... Snape who always begins!" burst Peter.  
  
"No, Peter. He's right," sighed James. "I don't know why I do it, either. I hate myself when I do, but I just can't help it!"  
  
The boys reached the class in silence.  
  
* * *  
  
It had been a long day. Double Herbology followed double Transfiguration; they had bed out the filimsosy from the first to the fourth greenhouse. The filimsosy were big and heavy brushes with two trunks in the middle, which made it difficult to carry them, so the operation had proved trying. After that, an unusually difficult hour of Potions had ended the day.  
  
When they got to the common room after lunch, they were all so tired that nobody was willing to play or joke, and both Peter and Remus went to sleep a little bit. James could not finish his assignments after dinner because he had to be in McGonagall office for his detention, so he forced himself to study, and Sirius decided to stay with him.  
  
"Ooooh! I'll never understand this!" sighed James after an hour trying to solve a Transfiguration problem.  
  
"Why don't you try to ask Professor McGonagall, this evening?" suggested Sirius, smiling.  
  
"I really don't think she'll be in the best humor to help. She'll have to stay awake as well."  
  
"Don't you know? It's Pringle who keeps the detentions." James paled. He had heard his father's stories about Pringles' detentions, and he'd showed James the scars. "Don't worry. The very first thing Dumbledore did when he became Headmaster was to eliminate physical punishment," assured Sirius. James felt a little better.  
  
"There's something I want to ask you. You know, Remus was right. Why do you act like that around Lily? Do you like her?"  
  
"Don't be stupid Sirius! I don't like her," said James harshly.  
  
"I've known you forever, and I've never seen you be like that to another person. There must be a reason," insisted Sirius.  
  
"Well, if there is, I'd really like to know myself! Listen, Sirius, I could NEVER like that girl. Never."  
  
"What're you talking about?" asked Peter, entering the room. The two shared an annoyed look.  
  
"Just homework, Peter," answered James.  
  
* * *  
  
Dinnertime had been quiter than usual. It looked like everyone had had a hard day and was willing to go to bed as soon as possible. James agreed, but he had to serve his detention, so he sadly went toward McGonagall's office. She was correcting some papers. James smiled within thiniking that, at least, she had to work late, too.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Potter," said the witch, "come with me." She stood and led James toward the door. They reached Mr. Pringle's office  
  
"Mr. Pringle, this boy has a detention," said Professor McGonagall dryly.  
  
"Ahh, very well," aswered the wrinkled man with an evil light in his eyes. James felt his knees quivering.  
  
"Remember what Professor Dumbledore said. No harming the students."  
  
Pringle watched the witch, looking like an animal deprived of his prey. "You'll just make Mr Potter clean something, or tidy some old shelves. Is it clear, Pringle? Don't touch him." McGonagall's eyes were stricter than usual, her face contracted in a silent menace.  
  
"As you wish, ma'am," said Pringle, his tone meaning something else. The witch turned and went out of the door. The caretaker stared at James with an evil look.  
  
"Well, well! A young wizard who thinks himself over the rules. Which punishment would be suitable for you?" said Pringle, chuckling. He turned his back to James and went to the wall, where some old chains were hanging, and caressed them. The boy stood silently, wishing that Professor McGonagall hadn't left.  
  
"I know a good punishment... oh, I do know MANY good punishments, yes. Punishing is an art." The old man seemed to be talking to himself more than to James. "But that Dumbledore does not want me to! You're lucky, boy." He suddenly turned back to the young wizard and stepped closer.  
  
"I was used to hung students to those chains and whip them till they fainted," said Pringle with a smirk. James thanked Dumbledore for existing.  
  
"Anyway, times change," he concluded sadly before going to a cupboard. He took a bucket, a mop, and a broom.  
  
"You'll wash the floor." James felt his heart beating again. That order sounded like an invitation to a party  
  
"Which rooms?" asked James, feeling safer.  
  
"Which?" repeated Pringle with an evil smile. "All!" he shouted, putting the things in James' hands. He stood there, watching the caretaker. All? He really meant ALL Hogwarts? It was simply impossible. How could it be?  
  
"What are you doing? Go and get to work! I'll come to watch you sometime," said Pringle, pushing the boy out of the room.  
  
James watched the corridor. He had never noticed how dirty it was. Doing the sole corridor looked already impossible, let alone the entire school. He was not even used to washing. At home, the house-elf did most of the work. With a sigh, he decided it was time to begin.  
  
* * *  
  
It was a bit later than midnight, and James had already worked for more than four consecutive hours. His back was hurting more than it ever had, and his eyes was closing unwillingly. Pringle had upped the frequency of his visits as the night passed.  
  
James was sitting down on the floor, trying to rest a bit without falling completely asleep. The caretaker had just passed to tell him he was doing horribly, so he had a few minutes, at least, before the old man came back.  
  
Sitting there, James heard some voices coming from a door nearby. There was a light inside. His curiousity prompted him to draw closer. One was Dumbledore's voice; the other was unknown  
  
"...You can't refuse this! We could all be in danger!" said the unknown voice.  
  
"You know perfectly well what happened the last time I left Hogwarts to help the Ministry. And this time I am the headmaster. I won't leave my students, expecially in a difficult times," replied Dumbledore.  
  
"It has been the fifth attack. The FIFTH! The fact that they haven't reached English land yet does not mean we're safe. We have been officially asked by the Ministries of France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Hungary to send YOU to help, just as you did with Grindewald!"  
  
"Oh, yes! And I remember how the Ministries thanked me after that! I'm tired of caring about your mistakes!" Dumbledore sounded really angry. James had never heard him like that before.  
  
"All right, all right. You have a point. But please, consider the situation. There's something dark going on, and if we don't stop it now, it will get us, too."  
  
"I know." The headmaster seemed to have calmed down. "And that's why I have to stay here."  
  
"Don't tell me you believe that prophecy!" the voice was astonished.  
  
"The Chamber was opened. And, despite your personal assurances, the guilty was never found!"  
  
"But... but this does not mean... oh, come on! Even if that prophecy was true, he shouldn't even arrive for at least ten years! We could be preparing for war any time now!"  
  
"You're a bit catastrophic," chuckled Dumbledore.  
  
"I'm not! And you should really not undestimate the problem!"  
  
"I'm not," returned Dumbledore seriously, "that's why I want to stay here. The only way I can help you is with my advice. I will always offer it if you want to listen."  
  
"That is not a good choice. I hope you'll reconsider it."  
  
"I won't. Goodnight, Minister." James stood quickly and grabbed the broom, going back to his punishment as the door opened.  
  
"Oh, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore did not looked surprised to see him there.  
  
"Er... I have a detention," said James.  
  
"Getting in trouble again, eh?" said the old wizard with a smirk. James looked down, guiltily.  
  
"Yes... Mr. Pringle wants me to wash the floors," said the boy, hopefully. He added, "ALL the floors."  
  
"Ah, good luck, then," said the headmaster, walking past James.  
  
'Damn!' thought the boy. Then, he looked up. Where was the Minister?  
  
"You're guessing what that was about, right?" questioned the seasoned wizard knowingly.  
  
"Oh, I wasn't listening," lied James. Dumbledore looked him square in the eye, and the boy could not hold the look.  
  
"Mr. Potter, you won't talk to anyone about what you CASUALLY heard. I'll ask Mr Pringle to let you work only until morning. Okay?"  
  
"Okay," answered the boy, happy to have listened. The headmaster smiled and went on.  
  
It was another six hours till morning, but James was happier to know that should have been the end of the detention. Then, a thought passed in his mind. Were they really going to make him wash the whole school? He couldn't tell for sure, but knowing Dumbledore, he'd have bet not. 


	20. POTIONS CHALLENGE

Chapter Twenty  
POTIONS CHALLENGE  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have to apologise for two reasons. First: sorry for taking so long to update. I've had my last exams and my lessons have started again, so I won't be able to update quickly from now on. Second: Just Like Hermione, who is editing my story, is having a busy period as well and she hasn't been able to edit this chapter, so you'll probably find many mistakes. Please forgive me:) I decided to update it anyway, but I'll change this chapter as soon as she gives me the edited version, so don't worry:)  
  
Thank you  
  
Kobra  
  
* * *  
  
More than a mounth had passed after James first (and up to now only) detention. That night, and the following day as well, had been so hard that he had partially calmed down and had managed to avoid both Lily and Severus.  
  
Lily had passed most of her time with Clara and her new group, but sometimes hung out with Severus' friends. With her great disapproval, Melissa and the other two never wanted to join those Slytherins and, even if they never told her, Lily knew that the girls did not like them just like James.  
  
It was a cold morning of November, the school was gathered in the Great Hall for the usual breakfast and James reached his friends who were already eating.  
  
He wore his particular smile again.  
  
"Remus, my friend" began the boy, slimy. Remus chocked and tossed.  
  
"Are you feeling well today?" Remus had been bad a mounth before and had passed two days in the hospital wing. He had been feeling much better since his coming back, but had used the health excuse any time James talked about his Flying lesson.  
  
"Ehm. yeah" answered the boy with the tone of someone waiting for a punishment.  
  
"Very well! Then it's decided: this night" James admitted no replying. He took some potatoes and started his breakfast.  
  
"Listen, James, I really appreciate that you care so much about my flying ability, but I've got much better in these mounths and I don't think we." began Remus  
  
"That's the point!" interrupted the boy happily "You ARE much better! And this means that I won't teach you to fly" said James chewing some bacon.  
  
"Alright, then why." tried Remus  
  
"I'm dying to play Quidditch!" concluded the boy. The other three stared at him astonished. Did he really mean that?  
  
"You're joking" said Sirius  
  
"Have you gone crazy?" said Remus in the same time  
  
"Nope. We're going for two against two" replied James seriously  
  
"James" began Sirius with the tone of someone talking to a little brat "even IF we were able to walk down the Gryffindor tower without being catch by Pringle, even IF we were able to enter Mrs Rowen's office and take the brooms and the balls, how could we play two against two? It will be night, we won't see a thing. What happens if we lose a ball? And the Snitch? Who will be able to get it at night?"  
  
"We won't use the Snitch, stupid. Nor the Bludgers. Just the Quaffle! The team who first gets to fifty points wins. Easy, isn't it? And don't worry, I've waited for this night because it's moonlight. We will see everything!" concluded smiling. Remus chocked again.  
  
"I don't think it's a good idea, James. Have you already forgotten your last detention?" Remus was not about to give up.  
  
"Don't worry, Pringle won't catch us. And nobody watches out at the Quidditch field at night. I thought about everything, you have nothing to worry about" concluded James smiling. Remus did not looked convinced at all.  
  
The four kids got up and walked out of the Hall.  
  
* * *  
  
"Very well, kids!" Madam Puffin stood in front of the class smiling "Your exams are getting nearer and nearer, so today we'll make a little test to see what you learnt in these mounths. Each one of you shall prepare one of the potions we studied, and then will try it in front of the class. This time, you won't work in groups but by yourselves. The one who makes the best potion will earn twenty points for his house!" all the students got chatting. Twenty points!  
  
"We gotta win!" decided James. They hadn't been able to recover those ten points they had lost on the first day yet.  
  
"How are we supposed to do it, James? None of us is good at potions, not as some Slytherins, expecially Snape, you know. And we can't even work in group or use the book!" Sirius had a point.  
  
"Well, we could work in group anyway." suggested Peter shyny. The other three stared at him.  
  
"I mean, what's the best potion we've done?"  
  
"'Flashy Hair'" answered Remus. No one doubted that.  
  
"Ok, who remembers that?" questioned the little boy  
  
"I remember how to begin, but I'm not sure about the milk" said Sirius  
  
"I do remember about the milk. It's what I had to do" Remus was confident on himself  
  
"And I do care about the blizzard" ended James  
  
"Ok, then we all do the 'Flashy Hair'. Each one will guide the others through his part, and let's hope that at least one will be good!" planned Peter  
  
"But. that's cheating! If she catches us." began Remus  
  
"Oh, come on Remus! You wanna win this or not?! We can't lose to Snape!" said James. Remus gave him a concerned look, but then nodded.  
  
They got to work. Cheating was not difficult: the tables were not so long and they had managed to stay near. Plus, Professor Puffin went around commenting and joking. She did not control at all and a lot of students cheated without any problem.  
  
Lily was pretty good at potions, thanks to Severus who had sometimes helped her understanding the essays, so she did not need to cheat. Instead, she was glad to help Clara, who was really not gifted for potions, and Melissa, who seemed not to care at all. Chloe had no problems, the only subject she hated was flying: she suffered from vertigo.  
  
Lily had chosen the 'Ear Intensifier', a potion that increased the earing ability. It was pretty difficult, but she felt quite sure of herself because Severus had given her some advices regarding that potion a couple of days before.  
  
Severus was of course going for the most difficult of the potions they had studied: the 'Strengh Enhancer'.  
  
He was cutting some herbs when his attention was catched by a movement on a table at his right: Peter was quickly consulting the Potions' book. Severus continued to watch him and saw that James and the others were cooperating.  
  
"So that's the story!" mumbled the dark boy. He waited for the professor to look in his direction and lifted his hand.  
  
"Oh, that's an unusual thing! Problems, Mr Snape?" asked the professor approaching him  
  
"Not really" answered Severus lowering his voice. He looked around, just to be sure that no one was listening "I think that Mr Potter and his friends are cheating. I suggest to control what they are doing"  
  
"Mr Snape! You'd better think at what you are doing! I can watch my students even without your advice!" Mr Puffin looked really offended. She turned and went toward James. Her behaviour got Severus' consideration of her even worst than before. It was clear that she had a preference for those so amusing and always-joking Gryffindor guys.  
  
In fact, she gave a quick look at their equal work, said something that looked very amusing, and went on.  
  
"Damn!" mumbled Severus.  
  
Half an hour later Professor Puffin announced that the time was over, and everyone got ready to try their potions in front of the class. The first was a Slytherin boy named Sticky who tried the 'Sudden Tan' potion. His skin, that should have become just a bit brown, got completely black with blue reflexes  
  
"Oh ohh! I think you'd better try harder Mr Sticky!" commented Mrs Puffin with a laugh.  
  
Then came a Gryffindor girl who had tried the 'Nocturnal Oculus', which had to let her see in the darkness. But when they turned out the light she stumbled across a table ending on two other Gryffindors.  
  
"Well, if you wanted to embrace Mr Nelson and Mr Lawry you have succeded, but it's not really what the potion was meant to" joked the professor while the girl was blushing.  
  
Other seven students followed with the same results, then it was Lily's turn  
  
"So, Miss Evans, what have you prepared?" questioned Mrs Puffin  
  
"I did the 'Ear Intensifier'" answered the girl  
  
"Oh, good choice! Ok, mmmh. I'll go to the other room and say something, and you'll have to get it, ok? Nobody speaks, please" Lily drunk her potion and the old witch went to the nearby room closing the door behind her.  
  
Everyone was staring at Lily, and she suddendly blushed. Mrs Puffin got back with a great smile on her face  
  
"So, what have I said?" asked, clearly amused.  
  
"Ehm. you said: 'I've never seen such a pretty boy as.'" Lily blushed furiously  
  
"As.?"  
  
"James Potter" said Lily lowering her voice. Everyone got laughing together with the professor. Everyone except James, who had just blushed, and Severus, who was staring at him darkly.  
  
"Alright, let's see what Mr Potter prepared himself!" said the woman after recovering from the laugh  
  
"I did the 'Flashy Hair'" said James reaching the professor in front of the class  
  
"Alright, let's see it" James drunk the potion, but the result was not really like the first time: his hair seemed to explode leaving him with a kind of unruly brush on his head.  
  
"Ah! Ah! I don't think it's what you were looking for, is it? Well, let's see what your friend Pettigrew tried" Peter reached James' side  
  
"I did the 'Flashy Hair' as well" said the boy  
  
"Oh, how strange!" said Severus sarcastically. Mrs Puffin looked at him angrily  
  
"Mr Snape, you'll have your chance to show us your ability. Now, if you don't mind." she made a sign to Peter who drunk his hogwash. The result was similar to James'. The class laughed.  
  
"Now, Mr Snape, would you mind to show us what have you prepared?" asked Mrs Puffin  
  
"Of course, I've prepared the 'Strengh Enhancer'" everyone looked at him astonished and admired.  
  
Severus drunk it without waiting the professor's sign. Then, he lifted the huge teacher's table without any effort. A big 'OHHH!' came from the class.  
  
"Very good, very good as always, Mr Snape" commented Mrs Puffin, dryly.  
  
The rest of the second hour was spent watching the result of the potions. The last one to try was Sirius. Remus had had his hair colored of light blue, and nobody else had tried the Flashy Hair.  
  
"It really looks like you guys liked this potion!" was the professor's comment when Sirius said the name.  
  
"Yep, it's really amusing!" answered the boy smiling. Mrs Puffin agreed laughing.  
  
Sirius drunk his hogwash and his hair exploded into a big, green crest. The boy looked at himself into a mirror while everyone was laughing  
  
"Ah! Ah! Ah! Well, we haven't been lucky with the Flashy Hair today!" Sirius looked extremely offended by the professors' words.  
  
"This is EXACTLY what I wanted to obtain!" replied the boy seriously. Mrs Puffin stared at him, questioning "It's a new fashion among the Muggles! I'm a prunk!" concluded proudly. 'It's punk, stupid!' thought Lily.  
  
The professor got staring at him for awhile, then she burst into a big laugh "Alright, veeery well! If this is what you wanted to obtain, then I guess you won the competition!" the Gryffindors exploded into a applause and greeted with Sirius who had gone back to his seat. Even Clara, Chloe and Melissa had forgotten their revenge proposals and got applauding. Lily was already doing that.  
  
"Did you REALLY wanted that?" asked James whispering  
  
"No, of course not" replied Sirius smiling.  
  
The class was dismissed and James' group went toward the door, when Severus stood in front of them  
  
"You're a very good actor, Black, you know?" said the dark boy  
  
"Are you afraid you lost, Snape?" questioned Sirius  
  
"I'm afraid the professor is so much engaged in laughing at your stupid jokes that she doesn't even see that only five on the whole class were able to make a decent potion, and that the one she awarded joked on her for the whole time" said Severus harshly  
  
"These are just excuses! You're afraid because your big difficult potion was useless, isn't it? You're afraid because you lost to us!" replied James  
  
"I haven't lost to you! I'll never be defeated by you, Potter! You can choose any subject, I'm better than you anyway!" cried out the boy  
  
"Oh, really?! Are you man enough for a challenge?" questioned James threatening  
  
"Of course"  
  
"Then, be at the Quidditch ground this night at noon. Bring three fellows, we'll decide who's better in a Qudditch match!" concluded the boy  
  
"I'll be there. If it's a trick, you'll pay!" said Severus, threatening as well  
  
"It is not. We'll see if you are a man, or just a coward as you look like" and with that James walked over.  
  
"Have you gone crazy?" asked Sirius when they were out of Severus' earshot  
  
"He'll never come! He'll just send Pringle to catch us!" added Remus  
  
"He won't. Because he wants this match as much as I do. Don't worry, and remember: we HAVE TO WIN!" 


End file.
